Human cellular nucleic acid-binding protein Zn2+ fingers support replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 when they are substituted in the nucleocapsid protein.
A family of cellular nucleic acid binding proteins (CNBPs) contains seven Zn(2+) fingers that have many of the structural characteristics found in retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) Zn(2+) fingers. The sequence of the NH(2)-terminal NC Zn(2+) finger of the pNL4-3 clone of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) was replaced individually with sequences from each of the seven fingers from human CNBP. Six of the mutants were normal with respect to protein composition and processing, full-length genomic RNA content, and infectivity. One of the mutants, containing the fifth CNBP Zn(2+) finger (CNBP-5) packaged reduced levels of genomic RNA and was defective in infectivity. There appear to be defects in reverse transcription in the CNBP-5 infections. Models of Zn(2+) fingers were constructed by using computational methods based on available structural data, and atom-atom interactions were determined by the hydropathic orthogonal dynamic analysis of the protein method. Defects in the CNBP-5 mutant could possibly be explained, in part, by restrictions of a set of required atom-atom interactions in the CNBP-5 Zn(2+) finger compared to mutant and wild-type Zn(2+) fingers in NC that support replication. The present study shows that six of seven of the Zn(2+) fingers from the CNBP protein can be used as substitutes for the Zn(2+) finger in the NH(2)-terminal position of HIV-1 NC. This has obvious implications in antiviral therapeutics and DNA vaccines employing NC Zn(2+) finger mutants.
McGrath
Connor F
CF
Developmental Therapeutics Program--Target Structure Based Drug Discovery Group, National Cancer Institute at Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201, USA.
Buckman
James S
JS
Gagliardi
Tracy D
TD
Bosche
William J
WJ
Coren
Lori V
LV
Gorelick
Robert J
RJ
D002460:Cell Line; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D009154:Mutation; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014779:Virus Replication; D016335:Zinc Fingers / Q000235:genetics*
C433227:CNBP protein, human; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D016601:RNA-Binding Proteins