title: HIV-1 A-rich RNA loop mimics the tRNA anticodon structure.
abstract: Interaction of HIV-1 genomic RNA and human tRNA(Lys)3 initiates viral reverse transcription. An adenosine-rich (A-rich) loop in HIV RNA mediates complex formation between tRNA and viral RNA. We have determined the structure of an A-rich loop oligonucleotide using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The loop structure is stabilized by a noncanonical G-A pair and a U-turn motif, which leads to stacking of the conserved adenosines. The structure has similarity to the tRNA anticodon structure, and suggests possible mechanisms for its role in initiation of reverse transcription.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural Biology, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5400, USA.
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Puglisi
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Puglisi
mesh_terms: D000926:Anticodon / Q000737:chemistry*; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008958:Models, Molecular; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009690:Nucleic Acid Conformation; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000926:Anticodon; D012367:RNA, Viral