Characterization of the block in replication of nucleocapsid protein zinc finger mutants from moloney murine leukemia virus.

ABSTRACT: Mutagenesis studies have shown that retroviral nucleocapsid (NC) protein Zn(2+) fingers (-Cys-X(2)-Cys-X(4)-His-X(4)-Cys- [CCHC]) perform multiple functions in the virus life cycle. Moloney murine leukemia virus mutants His 34-->Cys (CCCC) and Cys 39-->His (CCHH) were able to package their genomes normally but were replication defective. Thermal dissociation experiments showed that the CCHH mutant was not defective in genomic RNA dimer structure. Primer tRNA placement on the viral genome and the ability of the tRNA to function in reverse transcription initiation in vitro also appear normal. Some "full-length" DNA copies of the viral genome were synthesized in mutant virus-infected cells. The CCCC and CCHH mutants produced these DNA copies at greatly reduced levels. Circle junction fragment

SUBMITTER: Gorelick RJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC112836 | biostudies-literature | 1999 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature