HIV-1 uses frequent recombination between its two RNA genomes to create viral diversity. This diversity helps the virus to escape host immune response and drug therapy. Recombination can occur by strand transfer between RNA templates. This mechanism is also employed for the minus strand strong stop transfer in the replication pathway. Transfer involves a shift of the growing cDNA primer from the original donor RNA to a second acceptor RNA. Our work reconstituting recombination in vitro with pure proteins, and in vivo in cell culture, addresses mechanisms that drive strand transfer. Transfers initiate at sites where the virally encoded reverse transcriptase (RT) pauses, allowing it to use its RNase H function to concentrate cuts in the donor template. Transfers can occur by a multi-step process in which acceptor template invades the DNA at the gapped site in the donor template. The cDNA-acceptor hybrid spreads until the 3' terminal region of the cDNA completes transfer. However, major parts of the transfer mechanism are unexplored. Minus strand transfer model reactions in vitro indicate that RNA and DNA folding is an important determinant of transfer efficiency. We are investigating evidence that folding contributes to a time-dependent inactivation of cDNA ends for transfer, and that high efficiency depends on mechanisms that complete transfer before inactivation can occur. New results indicate that transfers can occur by a mechanism called proximity that does not involve spreading of the initial hybrid. We will evaluate the relative contributions of the spreading versus proximity mechanisms. Evidence suggests that the RT is obligated to dissociate for transfers, and that the RT must exercise its unique 5' end-directed RNase H activity. We are determining whether either or both functions are essential for transfer. Lastly, we developed a viral cell culture system that measures the positions and frequencies of recombination crossovers over more than half of the length of HIV-1 at a resolution of 25 nucleotides. We initially sequenced a 459 bp region from DIS through part of the gag gene. It revealed a striking peak of recombination in which two-thirds of crossovers in the region occurred within about 100 nucleotides. Significantly, we successfully recapitulated the hot spot in strand transfer assays in vitro, allowing us to determine its structural and mechanistic basis. Overall, results of our work will clarify the exact mechanisms and requirements of strand transfer in HIV-1. This is a first step to therapeutic targeting of strand transfer as a means of interfering with HIV-1 infection.

Public Health Relevance

HIV-1 rapidly evolves its structure in infected people. This allows it to escape immune response and to develop resistance to all current attempts at drug therapy. The virus has a mechanism whereby it can combine different drug resistance traits that it inherited from two different virus parents. This mechanism can produce viruses with increased or multi-drug resistance. Our results will help us to understand and defeat this mechanism so that anti-AIDS drugs can be more effective. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01GM049573-19A1
Application #
7552500
Study Section
AIDS Molecular and Cellular Biology Study Section (AMCB)
Program Officer
Portnoy, Matthew
Project Start
1992-12-01
Project End
2012-08-31
Budget Start
2008-09-01
Budget End
2009-08-31
Support Year
19
Fiscal Year
2008
Total Cost
$369,600
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Rochester
Department
Biochemistry
Type
Schools of Dentistry
DUNS #
041294109
City
Rochester
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14627
Piekna-Przybylska, Dorota; Sullivan, Mark A; Sharma, Gaurav et al. (2014) U3 region in the HIV-1 genome adopts a G-quadruplex structure in its RNA and DNA sequence. Biochemistry 53:2581-93
Muchiri, John M; Li, Dongge; Dykes, Carrie et al. (2013) Efavirenz stimulates HIV-1 reverse transcriptase RNase H activity by a mechanism involving increased substrate binding and secondary cleavage activity. Biochemistry 52:4981-90
Piekna-Przybylska, Dorota; Sharma, Gaurav; Bambara, Robert A (2013) Mechanism of HIV-1 RNA dimerization in the central region of the genome and significance for viral evolution. J Biol Chem 288:24140-50
Amie, Sarah M; Daly, Michele B; Noble, Erin et al. (2013) Anti-HIV host factor SAMHD1 regulates viral sensitivity to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors via modulation of cellular deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) levels. J Biol Chem 288:20683-91
Nguyen, Laura A; Daddacha, Waaqo; Rigby, Sean et al. (2012) Altered strand transfer activity of a multiple-drug-resistant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase mutant with a dipeptide fingers domain insertion. J Mol Biol 415:248-62
Muchiri, John M; Rigby, Sean T; Nguyen, Laura A et al. (2011) HIV-1 reverse transcriptase dissociates during strand transfer. J Mol Biol 412:354-64
Piekna-Przybylska, Dorota; Dykes, Carrie; Demeter, Lisa M et al. (2011) Sequences in the U3 region of human immunodeficiency virus 1 improve efficiency of minus strand transfer in infected cells. Virology 410:368-74
Shen, Wen; Gorelick, Robert J; Bambara, Robert A (2011) HIV-1 nucleocapsid protein increases strand transfer recombination by promoting dimeric G-quartet formation. J Biol Chem 286:29838-47
Piekna-Przybylska, Dorota; Bambara, Robert A (2011) Requirements for efficient minus strand strong-stop DNA transfer in human immunodeficiency virus 1. RNA Biol 8:230-6
Piekna-Przybylska, Dorota; DiChiacchio, Laura; Mathews, David H et al. (2010) A sequence similar to tRNA 3 Lys gene is embedded in HIV-1 U3-R and promotes minus-strand transfer. Nat Struct Mol Biol 17:83-9

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