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Journal of Virology, August 2005, p. 10247-10257, Vol. 79, No. 16
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.16.10247-10257.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Mutations That Abrogate Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase Dimerization Affect Maturation of the Reverse Transcriptase Heterodimer

Johanna Wapling,1,2 Katie L. Moore,1 Secondo Sonza,2,3 Johnson Mak,4,5 and Gilda Tachedjian1,2,6*

Molecular Interactions Group, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia,1 Department of Microbiology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia,2 HIV Regulation Laboratory, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Heath, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia,3 HIV Assembly Group, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia,4 Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia,5 Department of Medicine, Monash University, Prahran, Victoria 3181, Australia6

Received 8 February 2005/ Accepted 16 May 2005

The specific impact of mutations that abrogate human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcriptase (RT) dimerization on virus replication is not known, as mutations shown previously to inhibit RT dimerization also impact Gag-Pol stability, resulting in pleiotropic effects on HIV-1 replication. We have previously characterized mutations at codon 401 in the HIV-1 RT tryptophan repeat motif that abrogate RT dimerization in vitro, leading to a loss in polymerase activity. The introduction of the RT dimerization-inhibiting mutations W401L and W401A into HIV-1 resulted in the formation of noninfectious viruses with reduced levels of both virion-associated and intracellular RT activity compared to the wild-type virus and the W401F mutant, which does not inhibit RT dimerization in vitro. Steady-state levels of the p66 and p51 RT subunits in viral lysates of the W401L and W401A mutants were reduced, but no significant decrease in Gag-Pol was observed compared to the wild type. In contrast, there was a decrease in processing of p66 to p51 in cell lysates for the dimerization-defective mutants compared to the wild type. The treatment of transfected cells with indinavir suggested that the HIV-1 protease contributed to the degradation of virion-associated RT subunits. These data demonstrate that mutations near the RT dimer interface that abrogate RT dimerization in vitro result in the production of replication-impaired viruses without detectable effects on Gag-Pol stability or virion incorporation. The inhibition of RT activity is most likely due to a defect in RT maturation, suggesting that RT dimerization represents a valid drug target for chemotherapeutic intervention.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Molecular Interactions Group, Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health, 85 Commercial Road, GPO Box 2284, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia. Phone: (61) 3 9282 2256. Fax: (61) 3 9282 2100. E-mail: gildat{at}burnet.edu.au.

Journal of Virology, August 2005, p. 10247-10257, Vol. 79, No. 16
0022-538X/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/JVI.79.16.10247-10257.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Dunn, L. L., McWilliams, M. J., Das, K., Arnold, E., Hughes, S. H. (2009). Mutations in the Thumb Allow Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Reverse Transcriptase To Be Cleaved by Protease in Virions. J. Virol. 83: 12336-12344 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sonza, S., Johnson, A., Tyssen, D., Spelman, T., Lewis, G. R., Paull, J. R. A., Tachedjian, G. (2009). Enhancement of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Replication Is Not Intrinsic to All Polyanion-Based Microbicides. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 53: 3565-3568 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


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