title: Role of the N-terminal zinc finger of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 nucleocapsid protein in virus structure and replication.
abstract: Nucleocapsid protein (NCp7) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 is found covering the genomic RNA in the interior of the viral particle. It is a highly basic protein with two zinc fingers of the form CX2CX4HX4C which exhibit strong affinity for a zinc cation. To study the structure-function relationship of the N-terminal zinc finger of NCp7, this domain was either deleted or changed to CX2CX4CX4C. We examined virus formation and structure as well as proviral DNA synthesis. Our data show that these two NC mutations result in the formation of particles with an abnormal core morphology and impair the end of proviral DNA synthesis, leading to noninfectious viruses.
authors.affiliation: LaboRetro, Unité de Virologie Humaine INSERM U412, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, France.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tanchou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Decimo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Péchoux
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lener
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rogemond
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Berthoux
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ottmann
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Darlix
mesh_terms: D002213:Capsid / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D016296:Mutagenesis; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014764:Viral Proteins; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014779:Virus Replication; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000502:physiology*; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D004279:DNA, Viral; D015683:Gene Products, gag; C071884:NCP7 protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus