title: NMR structure of a biologically active peptide containing the RNA-binding domain of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat.
abstract: The Tat protein of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 enhances transcription by binding to a specific RNA element on nascent viral transcripts. Binding is mediated by a 10-amino acid basic domain that is rich in arginines and lysines. Here we report the three-dimensional peptide backbone structure of a biologically active 25-mer peptide that contains the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Tat basic domain linked to the core regulatory domain of another lentiviral Tat--i.e., that from equine infectious anemia virus. Circular dichroism and two-dimensional proton NMR studies of this hybrid peptide indicate that the Tat basic domain forms a stable alpha-helix, whereas the adjacent regulatory sequence is mostly in extended form. These findings suggest that the tendency to form stable alpha-helices may be a common property of arginine- and lysine-rich RNA-binding domains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mujeeb
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bishop
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Peterlin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Turck
authors.forename: T G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Parslow
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: James
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D015696:Gene Products, tat / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D008961:Models, Structural; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism*; D012984:Software; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D015696:Gene Products, tat; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054322:tat Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus