An efficient system for site-directed mutagenesis to make various mutants of the env gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1.
We developed an efficient system of site-directed mutagenesis for the envelope (env) gene of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1). To make a template plasmid for mutagenesis, pS+B/MluI, two independent selection markers, i.e. a unique restriction site, MluI, and an in-frame termination codon, were introduced into the region encoding the V3 domain of the env gene of an HIV-1 strain, NL4-3, which had been cloned in the pUC118 plasmid. When the env gene of the pS+B/MluI plasmid was mutated successfully using mutagenic primers such as synthetic oligonucleotides or PCR-amplified DNA fragments longer than 1.5 kbp, the plasmids became resistant to digestion with MluI and competent env genes were formed by suppression of the in-frame termination. Various site-directed mutants of the env gene of HIV-1 were accurately constructed in a short time even in the absence of proper restriction sites by this system. The system of site-directed mutagenesis we reported here will be a useful method to analyze the functions of variable genes like the env gene of HIV-1 precisely and rapidly.
Shimizu
N
N
Department of Hygiene and Virology, Gunma University School of Medicine, Maebashi, Japan. gardy@sb.gunma-u.ac.jp
Hoshino
H
H
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015752:Genes, env / Q000235:genetics*; D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120 / Q000235:genetics; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016297:Mutagenesis, Site-Directed; D009154:Mutation; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D015699:HIV Envelope Protein gp120; C059762:HIV envelope protein gp120 (305-321); D010446:Peptide Fragments