title: Preliminary mapping of a putative inhibitor-binding pocket for human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase inhibitors.
abstract: Molecular modeling studies have identified a putative human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) integrase (IN) inhibitor-binding pocket for l-chicoric acid (l-CA) and other inhibitors of IN (C. A. Sotriffer, H. Ni, and A. McCammon, J. Med. Chem. 43:4109-4117, 2000). By using site-directed mutagenesis of several amino acid residues identified by modeling studies, a common inhibitor-binding pocket on IN was confirmed for l-CA and the diketo acid L-731,988. Specifically, the single mutations E92K, Q148A, K156A, K156R, G140S, and G149S, as well as the double mutations C65S-K156N and H67D-G140A were evaluated for their effects on enzymatic activity and inhibitor susceptibility. Each recombinant IN was attenuated for 3'-end processing and strand transfer activities. Most proteins were also attenuated for disintegration; the IN that contained K156R and C65S-K156N, however, displayed disintegration activity similar to that of IN from HIV(NL4-3). All mutant IN proteins demonstrated decreased susceptibility to l-CA, while all mutant proteins except E92K and K156R demonstrated resistance to L-731,988. These data validate the computer modeling data and demonstrate that l-CA and L-731,988 share an overlapping inhibitor-binding pocket that involves amino acids Q148, C65, and H67. The resistance studies confirm that L-731,988 fills one-half of the inhibitor-binding pocket and binds to Q148 but excludes E92, while l-CA fills the entire binding groove and thus interacts with E92. These results provide "wet laboratory" evidence that molecular models of the HIV IN inhibitor-binding pocket can be used for drug discovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, D440 Medical Sciences I, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-4800, USA. ewrobins@uci.edu
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: W Edward
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D001665:Binding Sites; D019427:HIV Integrase / Q000378:metabolism*; D019428:HIV Integrase Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D011995:Recombination, Genetic
chemical_list: D019428:HIV Integrase Inhibitors; D019427:HIV Integrase