title: Engineering of the human-immunodeficiency-virus-type-1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase gene to prevent dimerization of the expressed chimaeric protein: purification and characterization of a monomeric HIV-1 reverse transcriptase.
abstract: We report here a human-immunodeficiency-virus-type-1 (HIV-1) recombinant reverse transcriptase (RT) engineered to contain a 26-amino-acid linker insertion from the tether domain of feline leukaemia virus (FLV) RT. The chimaeric protein was expressed in Escherichia coli and migrated on SDS/PAGE as a 68 kDa band. A monomeric form of the chimaeric HIV-1 RT has been prepared by the coordinated applications of immobilized-metal-affinity chromatography and gel filtration on Superose 12 columns. The monomeric nature of this chimaeric HIV-I RT was further characterized by cross-linking studies using disuccinimidyl suberate. The RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity of the monomeric chimaeric HIV-1 RT was 35% that of the heterodimeric (p66/p51) HIV-1 RT. These results support our recent studies on the monomeric polymerase domain (p51 RT) which exhibited an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase activity equal to 33% of that of the p66/p51 heterodimeric HIV-1 RT (Evans, Kezdy, Tarpley and Sharma [1993] Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 17, 91-102). The inability of the monomeric chimaeric HIV-1 RT to display polymerase activity like that of the heterodimeric HIV-1 RT is attributed to a decrease in the processive rate of DNA synthesis (75%) and DNA binding (65%). However, the monomeric chimaeric HIV-1 RT (p68) exhibited RNAase H activity like that of the heterodimeric form (p66/p51) of HIV-1 RT. These results suggest that the linker insertion from FLV RT does not interfere with the RNAase H activity associated with the monomeric HIV-1 RT.
authors.affiliation: Upjohn Laboratories, Kalamazoo, MI 49001.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.forename: D B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D005256:Leukemia Virus, Feline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011108:Polymers; D015202:Protein Engineering; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000378:metabolism; D013388:Succinimides / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D011108:Polymers; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013388:Succinimides; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase; D016914:Ribonuclease H; C019358:disuccinimidyl suberate