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Journal of Virology, November 2002, p. 11757-11762, Vol. 76, No. 22
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.22.11757-11762.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Reversible Binding of Recombinant Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Gag Protein to Nucleic Acids in Virus-Like Particle Assembly In Vitro

Ya-Xiong Feng, Tong Li,{dagger} Stephen Campbell,{ddagger} and Alan Rein*

HIV Drug Resistance Program, National Cancer Institute—Frederick, Frederick, Maryland 21702-1201

Received 5 March 2002/ Accepted 25 July 2002

Recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Gag protein can assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs) in suitable buffer conditions with nucleic acid. We have explored the role of nucleic acid in this assembly process. HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein, a domain of Gag, can bind to oligodeoxynucleotides with the sequence d(TG)n with more salt resistance than to d(A)n oligonucleotides. We found that assembly of VLPs on d(TG)n oligonucleotides was more salt resistant than assembly on d(A)n; thus, the oligonucleotides do not simply neutralize basic residues in Gag but provide a binding surface upon which Gag molecules assemble into VLPs. We also found that Gag molecules could be "trapped" on internal d(TG)n sequences within 40-base oligonucleotides, rendering them unable to take part in assembly. Thus, assembly on oligonucleotides requires that Gag proteins bind near the ends of the nucleic acid, and binding of Gag to internal d(TG)n sequences is apparently cooperative. Finally, we showed that nucleic acids in VLPs can exchange with nucleic acids in solution; there is a hierarchy of preferences in these exchange reactions. The results are consistent with an equilibrium model of in vitro assembly and may help to explain how Gag molecules in vivo select genomic RNA despite the presence in the cell of a vast excess of cellular mRNA molecules.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: National Cancer Institute-Frederick, P.O. Box B, Frederick, MD 21702-1201. Phone: (301) 846-1361. Fax: (301) 846-7146. E-mail: rein{at}ncifcrf.gov.

{dagger} Present address: GlobalNet Services, Inc., Rockville, MD 20852.

{ddagger} Present address: Cancer Protein Expression Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.

Journal of Virology, November 2002, p. 11757-11762, Vol. 76, No. 22
0022-538X/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JVI.76.22.11757-11762.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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