title: DNA found in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particles may not be required for infectivity.
abstract: We have studied the presence and significance of retroviral genome-derived DNA in the core of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) particles produced from transfections of HXB2 expression vectors in COS-7 cells and from HIV type 1 IIIB chronically infected H9 cells. Viruses purified by sucrose cushion centrifugation and treated with DNase I contained 1000-fold more viral RNA than DNA. However, protease-defective viruses that contained only p160gag-pol had less than 100 times the amount of DNA in their cores than wild-type viruses suggesting that the p66/p51 form of reverse transcriptase was responsible for DNA transcription. Viruses produced by transfections in the presence of 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) contained the viral RNA genome but only DNA of premature length because of the chain terminating effects of AZT. However such viruses were as infections for CD4+ cells as wild-type virus. We conclude that retrovirus-derived DNA in HIV-1 particles is not required for infection and does not play a significant role in this process.
authors.affiliation: Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Arts
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mak
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kleiman
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Wainberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D005784:Gene Amplification; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000502:physiology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24 / Q000032:analysis; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000502:physiology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology; D014162:Transfection; D014779:Virus Replication / Q000187:drug effects; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; D016655:HIV Core Protein p24; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012367:RNA, Viral; C059767:p55 gag precursor protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D015215:Zidovudine; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase