Slide into action: dynamic shuttling of HIV reverse transcriptase on nucleic acid substrates

N348I in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase can counteract the nevirapine-mediated bias toward RNase H cleavage during plus-strand initiation

Drug resistance-associated mutations in HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) can affect the balance between polymerase and ribonuclease H (RNase H) activities of the enzyme. We have recently demonstrated that the N348I mutation in the connection domain causes selective dissociation from RNase H-competent complexes, whereas the functional integrity of the polymerase-competent complex remains largely unaffected. N348I has been associated with resistance to the non-nucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI), nevirapine; however, a possible mechanism that links changes in RNase H activity to changes in NNRTI susceptibility remains to be established. To address this problem, we consider recent findings suggesting that NNRTIs may affect the orientation of RT on its nucleic acid substrate and increase RNase H activity. Here we demonstrate that RNase H-mediated primer removal is indeed more efficient in the presence of NNRTIs; however, the N348I mutant enzyme is able to counteract this effect. Efavirenz, a tight binding inhibitor, restricts the influence of the mutation. These findings provide strong evidence to suggest that N348I can thwart the inhibitory effects of nevirapine during initiation of (+)-strand DNA synthesis, which provides a novel mechanism for resistance. The data are in agreement with clinical data, which demonstrate a stronger effect of N348I on susceptibility to nevirapine as compared with efavirenz.

Synthesis and Anti-HIV-1 Activity of a Novel Series of Aminoimidazole Analogs

There is still an urgent need to develop nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitors (NNRTI) with a high-genetic barrier to resistance that facilitate patient adherence and allow durable suppression of HIV-1 replication. In this study, we describe the synthesis of a novel series of N-aminoimidazole (NAIM) analogs. Each of the NAIM analogs display potent activity against wild-type recombinant purified HIV-1 RT as well as RTs containing the K103N or Y181C resistance mutations. The analogs, however, do not exhibit significant antiviral activity in cell culture and were, in general, cytotoxic. Nevertheless, these data suggest that the NAIM backbone may provide a suitable scaffold from which inhibitors active against NNRTI-resistant HIV-1 could be developed.

Single-molecule studies of DNA replisome function

Fast and accurate replication of DNA is accomplished by the interactions of multiple proteins in the dynamic DNA replisome. The DNA replisome effectively coordinates the leading and lagging strand synthesis of DNA. These complex, yet elegantly organized, molecular machines have been studied extensively by kinetic and structural methods to provide an in-depth understanding of the mechanism of DNA replication. Owing to averaging of observables, unique dynamic information of the biochemical pathways and reactions is concealed in conventional ensemble methods. However, recent advances in the rapidly expanding field of single-molecule analyses to study single biomolecules offer opportunities to probe and understand the dynamic processes involved in large biomolecular complexes such as replisomes. This review will focus on the recent developments in the biochemistry and biophysics of DNA replication employing single-molecule techniques and the insights provided by these methods towards a better understanding of the intricate mechanisms of DNA replication.

Reverse transcriptase in motion: conformational dynamics of enzyme-substrate interactions

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) catalyzes synthesis of integration-competent, double-stranded DNA from the single-stranded viral RNA genome, combining both polymerizing and hydrolytic functions to synthesize approximately 20,000 phosphodiester bonds. Despite a wealth of biochemical studies, the manner whereby the enzyme adopts different orientations to coordinate its DNA polymerase and ribonuclease (RNase) H activities has remained elusive. Likewise, the lower processivity of HIV-1 RT raises the issue of polymerization site targeting, should the enzyme re-engage its nucleic acid substrate several hundred nucleotides from the primer terminus. Although X-ray crystallography has clearly contributed to our understanding of RT-containing nucleoprotein complexes, it provides a static picture, revealing few details regarding motion of the enzyme on the substrate. Recent development of site-specific footprinting and the application of single molecule spectroscopy have allowed us to follow individual steps in the reverse transcription process with significantly greater precision. Progress in these areas and the implications for investigational and established inhibitors that interfere with RT motion on nucleic acid is reviewed here.

RNA reactions one molecule at a time

Much of the dynamics information is lost in bulk measurements because of the population averaging. Single-molecule methods measure one molecule at a time; they provide knowledge not obtainable by other means. In this article, we review the application of the two most widely used single-molecule methods--fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and force versus extension measurements--to several RNA reactions. First, we discuss folding/unfolding studies on a hairpin ribozyme that revealed multiple conformations of the RNA with distinct kinetics, and on a series of RNA pseudoknots, whose mechanical stabilities were found to show a strong correlation with their frameshifting efficiency during translation. We also discuss several RNA-related molecular motors. Single-molecule experiments revealed detailed mechanisms for the interaction of HIV reverse transcriptase and nucleic acid helicases (NS3 and RIG-1) with their substrates. Optical tweezers studies showed that translation of a single messenger RNA by a ribosome occurs by successive translocation-and-pause cycles. Single-molecule FRET experiments yielded important information on ribosome conformational changes and tRNA dynamics during translation. Overall, single-molecule experiments have been very valuable for understanding RNA reactions.

Stepwise translocation of nucleic acid motors

Recent single molecule studies have made a significant contribution to the understanding of the molecular mechanism involved in the movement of motor proteins which process DNA and RNA. Measurement of stepsize in two disparate motors, NS3 helicase and ribosome both revealed 3-bp steps, which consist of three hidden substeps. Combined with previous structural studies, NS3 is likely taking a single nucleotide step of translocation coupled to one ATP binding event and this mode may be conserved in multitude of helicases. Such a stepwise translocation movement appears to occur through main contacts with the phosphate backbone. Double stranded RNA and DNA motor, RIG-I and phi29, respectively, showed translocation on a duplex while tracking exclusively a single strand of RNA or DNA in a directional manner, 5'-3' in both cases. Spontaneous dynamics displayed by ribosome ratcheting and SSB (single stranded DNA binding protein) diffusing on DNA were rectified by interacting cofactors and proteins, EF-G and RecA, respectively.

Optimal cytoplasmic transport in viral infections

For many viruses, the ability to infect eukaryotic cells depends on their transport through the cytoplasm and across the nuclear membrane of the host cell. During this journey, viral contents are biochemically processed into complexes capable of both nuclear penetration and genomic integration. We develop a stochastic model of viral entry that incorporates all relevant aspects of transport, including convection along microtubules, biochemical conversion, degradation, and nuclear entry. Analysis of the nuclear infection probabilities in terms of the transport velocity, degradation, and biochemical conversion rates shows how certain values of key parameters can maximize the nuclear entry probability of the viral material. The existence of such "optimal" infection scenarios depends on the details of the biochemical conversion process and implies potentially counterintuitive effects in viral infection, suggesting new avenues for antiviral treatment. Such optimal parameter values provide a plausible transport-based explanation of the action of restriction factors and of experimentally observed optimal capsid stability. Finally, we propose a new interpretation of how genetic mutations unrelated to the mechanism of drug action may nonetheless confer novel types of overall drug resistance.

Single-molecule study of DNA polymerization activity of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase on DNA templates

HIV-1 RT (human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase) is a multifunctional polymerase responsible for reverse transcription of the HIV genome, including DNA replication on both RNA and DNA templates. During reverse transcription in vivo, HIV-1 RT replicates through various secondary structures on RNA and single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) templates without the need for a nucleic acid unwinding protein, such as a helicase. In order to understand the mechanism of polymerization through secondary structures, we investigated the DNA polymerization activity of HIV-1 RT on long ssDNA templates using a multiplexed single-molecule DNA flow-stretching assay. We observed that HIV-1 RT performs fast primer extension DNA synthesis on single-stranded regions of DNA (18.7 nt/s) and switches its activity to slow strand displacement synthesis at DNA hairpin locations (2.3 nt/s). Furthermore, we found that the rate of strand displacement synthesis is dependent on the GC content in hairpin stems and template stretching force. This indicates that the strand displacement synthesis occurs through a mechanism that is neither completely active nor passive: that is, the opening of the DNA hairpin is driven by a combination of free energy released during dNTP (deoxyribonucleotide triphosphate) hydrolysis and thermal fraying of base pairs. Our experimental observations provide new insight into the interchanging modes of DNA replication by HIV-1 RT on long ssDNA templates.

Single-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer studies of RNA structure, dynamics and function

Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy experiments on RNA molecules brought to light the highly complex dynamics of key biological processes, including RNA folding, catalysis of ribozymes, ligand sensing of riboswitches and aptamers, and protein synthesis in the ribosome. By using highly advanced biophysical spectroscopy techniques in combination with sophisticated biochemical synthesis approaches, molecular dynamics of individual RNA molecules can be observed in real time and under physiological conditions in unprecedented detail that cannot be achieved with bulk experiments. Here, we review recent advances in RNA folding and functional studies of RNA and RNA-protein complexes addressed by using single-molecule Förster (fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (smFRET) technique.

The remarkable frequency of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genetic recombination

The genetic diversity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) results from a combination of point mutations and genetic recombination, and rates of both processes are unusually high. This review focuses on the mechanisms and outcomes of HIV-1 genetic recombination and on the parameters that make recombination so remarkably frequent. Experimental work has demonstrated that the process that leads to recombination--a copy choice mechanism involving the migration of reverse transcriptase between viral RNA templates--occurs several times on average during every round of HIV-1 DNA synthesis. Key biological factors that lead to high recombination rates for all retroviruses are the recombination-prone nature of their reverse transcription machinery and their pseudodiploid RNA genomes. However, HIV-1 genes recombine even more frequently than do those of many other retroviruses. This reflects the way in which HIV-1 selects genomic RNAs for coencapsidation as well as cell-to-cell transmission properties that lead to unusually frequent associations between distinct viral genotypes. HIV-1 faces strong and changeable selective conditions during replication within patients. The mode of HIV-1 persistence as integrated proviruses and strong selection for defective proviruses in vivo provide conditions for archiving alleles, which can be resuscitated years after initial provirus establishment. Recombination can facilitate drug resistance and may allow superinfecting HIV-1 strains to evade preexisting immune responses, thus adding to challenges in vaccine development. These properties converge to provide HIV-1 with the means, motive, and opportunity to recombine its genetic material at an unprecedented high rate and to allow genetic recombination to serve as one of the highest barriers to HIV-1 eradication.

Coordinating DNA replication by means of priming loop and differential synthesis rate

Genomic DNA is replicated by two DNA polymerase molecules, one of which works in close association with the helicase to copy the leading-strand template in a continuous manner while the second copies the already unwound lagging-strand template in a discontinuous manner through the synthesis of Okazaki fragments. Considering that the lagging-strand polymerase has to recycle after the completion of every Okazaki fragment through the slow steps of primer synthesis and hand-off to the polymerase, it is not understood how the two strands are synthesized with the same net rate. Here we show, using the T7 replication proteins, that RNA primers are made 'on the fly' during ongoing DNA synthesis and that the leading-strand T7 replisome does not pause during primer synthesis, contrary to previous reports. Instead, the leading-strand polymerase remains limited by the speed of the helicase; it therefore synthesizes DNA more slowly than the lagging-strand polymerase. We show that the primase-helicase T7 gp4 maintains contact with the priming sequence during ongoing DNA synthesis; the nascent lagging-strand template therefore organizes into a priming loop that keeps the primer in physical proximity to the replication complex. Our findings provide three synergistic mechanisms of coordination: first, primers are made concomitantly with DNA synthesis; second, the priming loop ensures efficient primer use and hand-off to the polymerase; and third, the lagging-strand polymerase copies DNA faster, which allows it to keep up with leading-strand DNA synthesis overall.

Nonspecifically bound proteins spin while diffusing along DNA

It is known that DNA-binding proteins can slide along the DNA helix while searching for specific binding sites, but their path of motion remains obscure. Do these proteins undergo simple one-dimensional (1D) translational diffusion, or do they rotate to maintain a specific orientation with respect to the DNA helix? We measured 1D diffusion constants as a function of protein size while maintaining the DNA-protein interface. Using bootstrap analysis of single-molecule diffusion data, we compared the results to theoretical predictions for pure translational motion and rotation-coupled sliding along the DNA. The data indicate that DNA-binding proteins undergo rotation-coupled sliding along the DNA helix and can be described by a model of diffusion along the DNA helix on a rugged free-energy landscape. A similar analysis including the 1D diffusion constants of eight proteins of varying size shows that rotation-coupled sliding is a general phenomenon. The average free-energy barrier for sliding along the DNA was 1.1 +/- 0.2 k(B)T. Such small barriers facilitate rapid search for binding sites.

Revisiting plus-strand DNA synthesis in retroviruses and long terminal repeat retrotransposons: dynamics of enzyme: substrate interactions

Although polypurine tract (PPT)-primed initiation of plus-strand DNA synthesis in retroviruses and LTR-containing retrotransposons can be accurately duplicated, the molecular details underlying this concerted series of events remain largely unknown. Importantly, the PPT 3' terminus must be accommodated by ribonuclease H (RNase H) and DNA polymerase catalytic centers situated at either terminus of the cognate reverse transcriptase (RT), and in the case of the HIV-1 enzyme, ∼70Å apart. Communication between RT and the RNA/DNA hybrid therefore appears necessary to promote these events. The crystal structure of the HIV-1 RT/PPT complex, while informative, positions the RNase H active site several bases pairs from the PPT/U3 junction, and thus provides limited information on cleavage specificity. To fill the gap between biochemical and crystallographic approaches, we review a multidisciplinary approach combining chemical probing, mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy and single molecule spectroscopy. Our studies also indicate that nonnucleoside RT inhibitors affect enzyme orientation, suggesting initiation of plus-strand DNA synthesis as a potential therapeutic target.

Integrating surface plasmon resonance biosensor-based interaction kinetic analyses into the lead discovery and optimization process

Surface plasmon resonance biosensor technology has come of age and become an important tool for drug discovery. It is a label-free biophysical technique for the kinetic analysis of molecular interactions that provides exceptionally information-rich data. Recent improvements in sensitivity, experimental design, data analysis and sample throughput makes it suitable for use throughout the drug-discovery process. This article outlines the use of SPR biosensor technology for small-molecule drug discovery and exemplifies how it complements other techniques. The technology is especially valuable for fragment-based lead discovery since it has the required sensitivity and throughput for screening of fragment libraries. Hits can be identified with respect to multiple criteria, defined by the experimental design used for screening. Expansion of hits and subsequent characterization and optimization of leads can be performed with a variety of experiments exploiting the kinetic resolution of the technology. Leads identified by this strategy can therefore be extensively characterized with respect to their interactions, with their target as well as with nontarget proteins. Although it may take some time for the methods to become well established, and for the research community to reach proficiency and fully embrace the information-rich data that can be obtained, it can be predicted that this technology will be widely used for drug discovery within the near future. It is expected that the technology will be particularly important for fragment-based strategies and integrated with other experimental technologies as well as with computational methods.

Preferred sequences within a defined cleavage window specify DNA 3' end-directed cleavages by retroviral RNases H

The RNase H activity of reverse transcriptase carries out three types of cleavage termed internal, RNA 5' end-directed, and DNA 3' end-directed. Given the strong association between the polymerase domain of reverse transcriptase and a DNA 3' primer terminus, we asked whether the distance from the primer terminus is paramount for positioning DNA 3' end-directed cleavages or whether preferred sequences and/or a cleavage window are important as they are for RNA 5' end-directed cleavages. Using the reverse transcriptases of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) and Moloney murine leukemia virus (M-MuLV), we determined the effects of sequence, distance, and substrate end structure on DNA 3' end-directed cleavages. Utilizing sequence-matched substrates, our analyses showed that DNA 3' end-directed cleavages share the same sequence preferences as RNA 5' end-directed cleavages, but the sites must fall in a narrow window between the 15th and 20th nucleotides from the recessed end for HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and between the 17th and 20th nucleotides for M-MuLV. Substrates with an RNA 5' end recessed by 1 (HIV-1) or 2-3 (M-MuLV) bases on a longer DNA could accommodate both types of end-directed cleavage, but further recession of the RNA 5' end excluded DNA 3' end-directed cleavages. For HIV-1 RNase H, the inclusion of the cognate dNTP enhanced DNA 3' end-directed cleavages at the 17th and 18th nucleotides. These data demonstrate that all three modes of retroviral RNase H cleavage share sequence determinants that may be useful in designing assays to identify inhibitors of retroviral RNases H.

Elucidating the inhibition mechanism of HIV-1 non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors through multicopy molecular dynamics simulations

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibition is a major focus of current anti-AIDS drug discovery and development programs, comprising 17 of the 31 Food and Drug Administration-approved compounds. The emergence of the non-nucleoside RT inhibitor (NNRTI) class of compounds provides a highly specific and structurally diverse set of drugs, which act noncompetitively to perturb normal RT function. Despite a relatively rich set of crystallographic data of RT in various states, details of the allosteric modulation of RT dynamics by NNRTIs are lacking. Capturing this inhibitory mechanism could fuel the design of more effective inhibitors at the NNRTI site and also drive the identification of novel allosteric sites. To address this, we have performed multicopy molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of RT in the presence and absence of the NNRTI nevirapine (cumulative total simulation time, 360 ns). By comparing the collective motions of the MD and crystallographic structures, we demonstrate that the chief effect of NNRTIs is to constrain a key rigid-body motion between the "fingers" and "thumb" subdomains of the p66 subunit. We show that the NNRTI binding pocket (NNIBP) is proximal to the hinge points for this essential motion, and NNRTIs therefore act as "molecular wedges," sterically blocking the full range of motion. To explain how this impaired movement might result in the experimentally observed loss of polymerase activity, we show that the motion influences the geometry of key catalytic residues on opposite faces of the NNIBP. From a methodological point of view, our results suggest that the multicopy MD simulation approach is very useful when studying proteins that perform such large conformational changes.

When is it time for reverse transcription to start and go?

Upon cell infection by a retrovirus, the viral DNA polymerase, called reverse transcriptase (RT), copies the genomic RNA to generate the proviral DNA flanked by two long terminal repeats (LTR). A discovery twenty years ago demonstrated that the structural viral nucleocapsid protein (NC) encoded by Gag is an essential cofactor of reverse transcription, chaperoning RT during viral DNA synthesis. However, it is only recently that NC was found to exert a control on the timing of reverse transcription, in a spatio-temporal manner. This brief review summarizes findings on the timing of reverse transcription in wild type HIV-1 and in nucleopcapsid (NC) mutants where virions contain a large amount of newly made viral DNA. This brief review also proposes some explanations of how NC may control late reverse transcription during Gag assembly in virus producer cells.