title: Human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase-associated RNase H activity.
abstract: Biochemical characteristics of the RNase H activity associated with immunoaffinity purified human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase (RT) were examined. Glycerol gradient centrifugation of HIV RT resulted in a single peak of RNase H, associated with RT activity, with an apparent molecular weight of 110,000. HIV RNase H exhibited a marked substrate preference for poly(dC).[3H]poly(rG) compared to poly(dT).[3H]poly(rA). It did not hydrolyze single-stranded RNA or the DNA component of DNA.RNA hybrids. Products of the HIV RT-associated RNase H reaction consisted primarily of monomers, dimers, and trimers with 3' OH groups. This reaction was Mg2+ dependent, with greater than 90% of maximum activity at MgCl2 concentrations between 4 and 12 mM. The optimum KCl concentration for HIV RT catalyzed polymerization with a poly(rA).(dT)10 template. The optimum pH for HIV RNase H activity was between 8.0 and 8.5, in contrast to an optimum pH of 7.5 to 8.0 for HIV RT activity. The association of RNase H activity with the p66 component of HIV RT was demonstrated by activity gel analysis. These results indicate that HIV RT has an integral RNase H activity; however, some of its properties are different from those of RNase H associated with other retroviral RT's, and optimal assay conditions are different than those for HIV RT catalyzed DNA polymerization.
authors: Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-7365.
authors: M C
authors: MC
authors: Starnes
authors: Y C
authors: YC
authors: Cheng
mesh_terms: D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D004722:Endoribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006678:HIV / Q000201:enzymology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008274:Magnesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011189:Potassium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016914:Ribonuclease H; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D011189:Potassium Chloride; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D004722:Endoribonucleases; D016914:Ribonuclease H; D008274:Magnesium