Retroviral intasome assembly and inhibition of DNA strand transfer.

ABSTRACT: Integrase is an essential retroviral enzyme that binds both termini of linear viral DNA and inserts them into a host cell chromosome. The structure of full-length retroviral integrase, either separately or in complex with DNA, has been lacking. Furthermore, although clinically useful inhibitors of HIV integrase have been developed, their mechanism of action remains speculative. Here we present a crystal structure of full-length integrase from the prototype foamy virus in complex with its cognate DNA. The structure shows the organization of the retroviral intasome comprising an integrase tetramer tightly associated with a pair of viral DNA ends. All three canonical integrase structural domains are involved in extensive protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions. The binding of strand-tran

SUBMITTER: Hare S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2837123 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature