The HIV-1 central polypurine tract functions as a second line of defense against APOBEC3G/F.

ABSTRACT: HIV-1 and certain other retroviruses initiate plus-strand synthesis in the center of the genome as well as at the standard retroviral 3' polypurine tract. This peculiarity of reverse transcription results in a central DNA "flap" structure that has been of controversial functional significance. We mutated both HIV-1 flap-generating elements, the central polypurine tract (cPPT) and the central termination sequence (CTS). To avoid an ambiguity of previous studies, we did so without affecting integrase coding. DNA flap formation was disrupted but single-cycle infection was unaffected in all target cells tested, regardless of cell cycle status. Spreading HIV-1 infection was also normal in most T cell lines, and flap mutant viruses replicated equivalently to the wild type in nondividing cells, i

SUBMITTER: Hu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2977901 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature