HIV-1 Uncoating and Reverse Transcription Require eEF1A Binding to Surface-Exposed Acidic Residues of the Reverse Transcriptase Thumb Domain.

ABSTRACT: Once HIV-1 enters a cell, the viral core is uncoated by a poorly understood mechanism and the HIV-1 genomic RNA is reverse transcribed into DNA. Host cell factors are essential for these processes, although very few reverse transcription complex binding host cell factors have been convincingly shown to affect uncoating or reverse transcription. We previously reported that cellular eukaryotic translation elongation factor 1A (eEF1A) interacts tightly and directly with HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) for more efficient reverse transcription. Here we report that the surface-exposed acidic residues in the HIV-1 RT thumb domain alpha-J helix and flanking regions are important for interaction with eEF1A. Mutation of surface-exposed acidic thumb domain residues D250, E297, E298, and E300 to argi

SUBMITTER: Rawle DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5874916 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature