Determination of the defective function in two mutants of Rous sarcoma virus

Basic residues of the retroviral nucleocapsid play different roles in gag-gag and Gag-Psi RNA interactions

The Orthoretrovirus Gag interaction (I) domain maps to the nucleocapsid (NC) domain in the Gag polyprotein. We used the yeast two-hybrid system to analyze the role of Alpharetrovirus NC in Gag-Gag interactions and also examined the efficiency of viral assembly and release in vivo. We could delete either or both of the two Cys-His (CH) boxes without abrogating Gag-Gag interactions. We found that as few as eight clustered basic residues, attached to the C terminus of the spacer peptide separating the capsid (CA) and NC domains in the absence of NC, was sufficient for Gag-Gag interactions. Our results support the idea that a sufficient number of basic residues, rather than the CH boxes, play the important role in Gag multimerization. We also examined the requirement for basic residues in Gag for packaging of specific packaging signal (Psi)-containing RNA. Using a yeast three-hybrid RNA-protein interaction assay, second-site suppressors of a packaging-defective Gag mutant were isolated, which restored Psi RNA binding. These suppressors mapped to the p10 or CA domains in Gag and resulted in either introduction of a positively charged residue or elimination of a negatively charged one. These results imply that the structural interactions of NC with other domains of Gag are necessary for Psi RNA binding. Taken together, our results show that while Gag assembly only requires a certain number of positively charged amino acids, Gag binding to genomic RNA for packaging requires more complex interactions inherent in the protein tertiary structure.

The packaging phenotype of the SE21Q1b provirus is related to high proviral expression and not trans-acting factors

The avian packaging cell line SE21Q1b produces particles which encapsidate cellular RNAs. Such RNAs can be reverse transcribed by endogenous polymerase and integrated into the genomes of newly infected cells (M. Linial, Cell 49:93-102, 1987). Genomic RNA is not packaged because the packaging (psi) region of the provirus is deleted. The provirus also lacks the negative-strand primer binding site, which prevents efficient reverse transcription of randomly packaged genomic RNA. Previous work from our laboratory suggested that the trans-acting defect which allows packaging of cellular mRNA mapped to the provirus but did not map to the nucleocapsid region of the gag gene (D.J. Anderson, P. Lee, K. L. Levine, J. Sang, S. A. Shah, O. O. Yang, P. R. Shank, and M. L. Linial, J. Virol. 66:204-216, 1992). We have found, using proviral recombinants between SE21Q1b and wild-type Rous sarcoma virus, that packaging of cellular RNAs does not map to the gag gene. Rather, the propensity of SE21Q1b particles to package cellular mRNA is a function of the high level of particle production in these cells and not of any specific viral structural proteins.

Characterization of the core promoter and enhancer of duck hepatitis B virus

The core gene promoter of duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) has been localized and an enhancer element has been found in a region of the DHBV genome immediately upstream of the core promoter. This enhancer was able to activate expression from both the core promoter and the S promoter of DHBV, as well as from the heterologous thymidine kinase and simian virus 40 early promoters, but not from the DHBV PreS promoter, which was active both in the absence and in the presence of the enhancer. The activity of the enhancer showed a preference for cell cultures of hepatic origin, suggesting a possible tissue preference in vivo.

Requirement of the avian retrovirus pp32 DNA binding protein domain for replication

The NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of the pp32 DNA binding protein has been determined, thus establishing its precise coding region in the polymerase gene of Rous sarcoma virus. Specific mutations were constructed in molecularly cloned Prague A DNA near the NH2- and COOH-termini of pp32 and the effects were assayed by transfection on chick embryo fibroblasts. Out-of-frame deletions at both sites and an in-frame deletion near the NH2 terminus rendered the DNA noninfectious and transformation negative. Single point mutations near the NH2 terminus reduced the transfection efficiency and the rate of virus replication. Biochemical studies indicated that the RNA-directed DNA polymerase and RNase H activities of the mutant viruses were not affected but the processing of the viral beta polypeptide was altered.

Characterization of a replication-defective temperature-sensitive mutant of Rous sarcoma virus

A temperature-sensitive mutant (LA83) of Rous sarcoma virus defective both in the transformation and replication function has been isolated and partially characterized. Temperature-shift experiments showed that the defects in both the focus-forming and replication functions were late and continuous. The mutant LA83 was complemented by avian leukosis viruses. Complementation of LA83 replication was also observed with the glycoprotein-deletion mutant, Brian high-titer RSV(-) suggesting that the env gene in LA83 was not defective. At the nonpermissive temperature LA83-infected cells produced noninfectious particles with a yield of about 30%. The noninfectious particles had only about 3% of reverse-transcriptase activity as the infectious LA83 produced at the permissive temperature. However, the LA83 virions were as thermolabile as the parent wild-type PR-B virions.

Virus-coded DNA endonuclease from avian retrovirus

Reverse transcriptase from avian retrovirus has a physically associated DNA endonuclease with novel substrate and cofactor requirements. A similar endonuclease activity copurifies with pp32, a protein from viral cores that has been identified with the non-alpha region of the beta subunit of reverse transcriptase. Several temperature-sensitive mutants of avian retrovirus with thermolabile DNA polymerase were tested for thermal sensitivity of their DNA endonuclease activity. Two pol mutants of Rous sarcoma virus, ts335 and ts337, had thermolabile DNA endonuclease; a temperature-resistant revertant of ts335 had a heat-stable DNA endonuclease. DNA endonuclease is therefore a product of the pol gene and an integral part of the reverse transcriptase. A second class of pol mutants, typified by ts568 and ts553, had thermolabile DNA polymerase, but heat-stable DNA endonuclease.

Immunologic approaches toward detection of type C viral expression in man

Type C RNA viruses have been isolated from a large number of mammalian species. These agents may be horizontally transmitted as infectious cancer-inducing agents, or vertically transmitted from one generation to the next, often in an unexpressed form, within the host genome. To date, the translational products of three viral genes have been identified. With purified virus-coded proteins as probes, sensitive and highly specific radioimmunologic assays have been developed for the detection of antibodies and antigens related to the known type C viruses. These techniques have proved valuable in sero-epidemiologic studies of the horizontally transmitted oncogenic viruses of cats, cattle, and gibbons, and have been used to detect translational products of endogenous viruses in tissues of species from which complete virus has yet to be isolated. This review describes the application of radioimmunoassays in the search for immunologic evidence of type C virus expression in man.

Purification and characterization of particles containing RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, in the allantoic fluid of uninfected leukosis virus-free chicken eggs

The allantoic fluid of embryonated chicken eggs regularly contains particle-associated RNA-dependent DNA polymerase, as shown by its reaction with homopolymeric and heteropolymeric RNA and by the characterization of the products. The purification of the particles is described. The purified particles are different from the known avian RNA tumor viruses in their protein composition and their sedimentation constant. They do not exhibit biological properties typical for RNA tumour viruses, such as helper activity, interfering properties or infectivity and do not show endogenous DNA synthesis. The particles are discussed as non-viral elements.

Infidelity of DNA synthesis as related to mutagenesis and carcinogenesis

An assay system has been developed for measuring the fidelity of DNA synthesis in vitro by using synthetic polynucleotide templates and purified DNA polymerases. Nearest-neighbor analysis of the synthesized product indicates that noncomplementary nucleotides are incorporated as single base substitutions. The accuracy of DNA synthesis can be decreased by (1) prior alkylation of the template, (2) increasing the relative concentration of incorrect nucleotides, and (3) addition of specific metal salts to the reaction mixture. As an initial evaluation of the utility of this system, the effects of 31 metal salts on the fidelity of DNA synthesis have been determined. The results indicate that potential metal mutagens and/or carcinogens may be detected by measuring alterations in the fidelity of DNA synthesis.