The activation domain of simian immunodeficiency virus SIVmac239 Rev protein is structurally and functionally analogous to the HIV-1 Rev activation domain.
The Rev proteins of primate immunodeficiency viruses are essential transactivators for the switch from early to late phase in the viral replication cycle. By mutational analysis, a putative activation domain (AD) has been assigned to the carboxy-terminus. This leucine-rich stretch of amino acids proved to be essential for the transactivating properties of HIV-1 Rev. Some mutants in the AD transdominantly inhibit the function of wild-type Rev protein very efficiently. We identified a similar domain structure for SIVmac239 Rev by sequence comparison and in vitro mutagenesis. The leucine/isoleucine residues of the SIVmac239 Rev activation domain appeared to be of similar importance for function. The mutants of these residues in the SIV AD displayed a dominant negative phenotype on both HIV-1 and SIVmac 239 rev-responsive elements (RRE). The prokaryotically expressed wild-type and mutant proteins were analyzed for RNA-binding properties in a gel-shift assay in vitro. This assay revealed a similar binding pattern of wild-type and transdominant proteins on either RRE.
Berchtold
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Institut für Klinische und Molekulare Virologie, Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Hornung
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Aepinus
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D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D015694:Gene Products, rev / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D007930:Leucine; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D017354:Point Mutation; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D015302:Simian Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000502:physiology*; D014775:Virus Activation; D014779:Virus Replication; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
D015694:Gene Products, rev; D054321:rev Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D007930:Leucine