Retroviral integrases promote fraying of viral DNA ends.

ABSTRACT: In the initial step of integration, retroviral integrase (IN) introduces precise nicks in the degenerate, short inverted repeats at the ends of linear viral DNA. The scissile phosphodiester bond is located immediately 3' of a highly conserved CA/GT dinucleotide, usually 2 bp from the ends. These nicks create new recessed 3'-OH viral DNA ends that are required for joining to host cell DNA. Previous studies have indicated that unpairing, "fraying," of the viral DNA ends by IN contributes to end recognition or catalysis. Here, we report that end fraying can be detected independently of catalysis with both avian sarcoma virus (ASV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) IN proteins by use of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The results were indicative of an IN-induced in

SUBMITTER: Katz RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3138259 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature