Low-molecular-weight RNAs and initiation of RNA-directed DNA synthesis in avian reticuloendotheliosis virus

The secondary structure of the R region of a murine leukemia virus is important for stimulation of long terminal repeat-driven gene expression

In addition to their role in reverse transcription, the R-region sequences of some retroviruses affect viral transcription. The first 28 nucleotides of the R region within the long terminal repeat (LTR) of the murine type C retrovirus SL3 were predicted to form a stem-loop structure. We tested whether this structure affected the transcriptional activity of the viral LTR. Mutations that altered either side of the stem and thus disrupted base pairing were generated. These decreased the level of expression of a reporter gene under the control of viral LTR sequences about 5-fold in transient expression assays and 10-fold in cells stably transformed with the LTR-reporter plasmids. We also generated a compensatory mutant in which both the ascending and descending sides of the stem were mutated such that the nucleotide sequence was different but the predicted secondary structure was maintained. Most of the activity of the wild-type SL3 element was restored in this mutant. Thus, the stem-loop structure was important for the maximum activity of the SL3 LTR. Primer extension analysis indicated that the stem-loop structure affected the levels of cytoplasmic RNA. Nuclear run-on assays indicated that deletion of the R region had a small effect on transcriptional initiation and no effect on RNA polymerase processivity. Thus, the main effect of the R-region element was on one or more steps that occurred after the template was transcribed by RNA polymerase. This finding implied that the main function of the R-region element involved RNA processing. R-region sequences of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 or mouse mammary tumor virus could not replace the SL3 element. R-region sequences from an avian reticuloendotheliosis virus partially substituted for the SL3 sequences. R-region sequences from Moloney murine leukemia virus or feline leukemia virus did function in place of the SL3 element. Thus, the R region element appears to be a general feature of the mammalian type C genus of retroviruses.

Inhibition of HIV-1 production and selective degradation of viral RNA by an amphibian ribonuclease

Ribonucleases appear to have physiologic roles in host defense against cancer, viruses, and other parasites. Previously it was shown that select ribonucleases added to cells concurrently with virions blocked human immunodeficiency virus, type I (HIV-1) infection of H9 cells. We now report that a ribonuclease homologous to RNase A, named onconase, inhibits virus replication in chronically HIV-1-infected human cells without killing the virally infected cell. Examining the mechanism of this inhibition shows that onconase enters the infected cells and degrades HIV-1 RNA without degrading ribosomal RNA or the three different cellular messenger RNAs analyzed. The homologous human pancreatic RNase lacks anti-viral activity. Comparing recombinant forms of onconase and a onconase-human RNase chimera shows that the N-terminal 9 amino acids and the pyroglutamyl residue of onconase are required for full anti-viral activity. Thus extracellular ribonucleases can enter cells, metabolize select RNAs, and inhibit HIV virion production within viable replicating cells.

Interaction of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase with a synthetic form of its replication primer, tRNA(Lys,3)

Using synthetic oligonucleotides, a gene encoding the HIV-1 replication primer, tRNA(Lys,3), was constructed and placed downstream from a bacteriophage T7 promoter. In vitro transcription of this gene yielded a form of tRNA(Lys,3) which lacks the modified bases characteristic of the natural species and the 3' -C-A-dinucleotide. Synthetic tRNA(Lys,3) annealed to a pbs-HIV1 RNA template can prime cDNA synthesis catalysed by recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Trans-DDP crosslinking indicates that this synthetic tRNA is still capable of interacting with HIV-1 RT via a 12-nucleotide portion encompassing the anticodon domain. Gel-mobility shift and competition analyses imply that the affinity of synthetic tRNA for RT is reduced. In contrast to earlier observations, synthetic tRNA is readily competed from RT by natural tRNA(Pro). The reduced affinity of synthetic tRNA(Lys,3) for RT is not appreciably affected by mutations in positions within the loop of the anticodon domain. These results would imply that the overall structure of the anticodon domain of tRNA(Lys,3) is an important factor in its recognition by HIV-1 RT. In addition, modified bases within this, although not absolutely required, would appear to make a significant contribution to the enhanced stability of the ribonucleoprotein complex.

Isolation of three kinds of human endogenous retrovirus-like sequences using tRNA(Pro) as a probe

Three kinds of human endogenous retrovirus-like sequences (HuERS-P1, 2 and 3) were isolated from a HeLa cell genomic library using the 3'-half fragment of proline tRNA as a hybridization probe. These elements contained putative primer binding sites complementary to the 3'-terminus of proline tRNA and long terminal repeats (LTRs) characteristic of retrovirus provirus. The LTR sequence of HuERS-P1 consisted of about 690 nucleotides and contained a CAT box, a TATA box and a polyadenylation signal. A complete unit of an Alu family sequence was inserted into the 5'-LTR of one of the clones. HuERS-P2 also contained a TATA box and a polyadenylation signal in its LTR (about 840 nucleotides long), but the LTR sequence of this element was quite different from that of HuERS-P1. Although clone HuERS-P3 contained only the 5'-LTR region, this LTR sequence contained a CAT box, a TATA box and a poly-adenylation signal and was quite similar to the LTR sequence of the recently isolated human retrovirus-related sequence HuRRS-P (Kröger, B. and Horak, I. (1987) J. Virol., 61, 2071-2075). Human and simian DNAs contain 10 to 40 copies of these elements, but mouse DNA does not contain these elements.

Equine infectious anemia virus gag and pol genes: relatedness to visna and AIDS virus

Comparison of HTLV-III, the putative AIDS virus, with other related viruses, may help to reveal more about the origin of AIDS in humans. In this study, the nucleotide sequence of the gag and pol genes of an equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) proviral DNA clone was determined. The sequence was compared with that of HTLV-III and of visna, a pathogenic lentivirus of sheep. The results show that these viruses constitute a family clearly distinct from that of the type C viruses or the BLV-HTLV-I and -II group. Within the family, EIAV, HTLV-III, and visna appear to be equally divergent from a common evolutionary ancestor.

Nucleotide sequence analysis of endogenous murine leukemia virus-related proviral clones reveals primer-binding sites for glutamine tRNA

Nucleotide sequences of the region that corresponds to the site of tRNA primer binding for a functional retrovirus were determined in five murine leukemia virus-related sequence clones from mouse chromosomal DNA, which contain a unique 170 to 200-base-pair additional internal segment in the long terminal repeats. The 3'-terminal 18-nucleotide sequence of a major glutamine tRNA isoacceptor was found to match well with the putative primer binding site: 18 of 18 in three clones, 17 of 18 in one clone, and 16 of 18 in one clone. This implies that most of these endogenous proviral sequences of the mouse genome, if replicated as retroviruses, will be different from ecotropic murine leukemia viruses and most mammalian type C retroviruses in using glutamine tRNA, rather than proline tRNA, as a primer.

Primer binding sites corresponding to several tRNA species are present in DNAs of different members of the same retrovirus-like gene family (VL30)

We analyzed the putative tRNA primer binding site (PBS) present in several cloned copies of the murine retrovirus-like VL30 family. In the five VL30 DNA clones analyzed, we identified PBS sequences corresponding to three different tRNA species: tRNAPro, tRNAGly, and tRNAGln. The latter two PBS sequences have not been previously encountered in other retroviral or retrovirus-like systems. A unique situation was observed in which PBS sequences complementary to two different tRNA species were flanked by otherwise identical VL30 sequences. In addition, we demonstrated the use of PBS-specific synthetic oligonucleotides for the identification of the tRNA primer and their potential utility in the direct cloning of PBS-containing DNA elements.

Nucleic acid sequences of the oncogene v-rel in reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T and its cellular homolog, the proto-oncogene c-rel

Reticuloendotheliosis virus strain T (Rev-T) is a highly oncogenic replication-defective retrovirus which contains the oncogene v-rel. It is thought that Rev-T arose when a virus similar to Rev-A, the helper virus of Rev-T, infected a turkey and recombined with c-rel from that turkey. There is one large c-rel locus in the turkey genome which contains all of the sequences homologous to v-rel (K. C. Wilhelmsen and H. M. Temin, J. Virol. 49:521-529, 1984). We have sequenced v-rel and its flanking sequences, each of the regions of the c-rel locus from turkey that are homologous to v-rel and their flanking sequences, and the coding sequence for env and part of pol of Rev-A. The v-rel coding sequences can be translated into a 503-amino acid env-v-rel-out-of-frame-env fusion polypeptide. We have not detected any sequences in the Los Alamos or University of California-San Diego data bases that are more significantly related to the amino acid or nucleic acid sequence of v-rel than to the randomized sequence of v-rel. Comparison of Rev-A, Rev-T, and c-rel indicates that the v-rel sequences may have been transduced from the c-rel (turkey) locus by a novel mechanism. There are sequences in Rev-A and c-rel that are similar to splicing signals, indicating that the 5' virus-rel junction of Rev-T may have been formed by cellular RNA splicing machinery. Eight presumed introns have presumably been spliced out of c-rel to generate v-rel. There are also short imperfect regions of homology between sequences at the boundaries of v-rel and sequences in Rev-A and c-rel (turkey), indicating that c-rel may have been transduced by homologous recombination. There are many differences between the amino acid sequences of the predicted translational products of v-rel and c-rel which may account for their difference in transformation potential. These sequence differences between v-rel and c-rel include 10 missense transitions, four missense transversions, and three places where Rev-T has a small in-frame deletion of sequences relative to c-rel. Most of the coding sequence differences between c-rel and v-rel are nonconservative amino acid changes.

Structural features required for the binding of tRNATrp to avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase

The basis of the specific binding of tRNATrp by avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase was studied by chemical and enzymatic modification of the RNA. Binding does not depend on recognition of the tryptophan anticodon since molecules cleaved in the anticodon are stably bound by the enzyme. Modification of pseudouridine residues in the tRNA destroys binding to reverse transcriptase. These results are consistent with a model in which reverse transcriptase-tRNATrp interaction occurs not at the anticodon, but at regions in the tRNA which contain or are stabilized by pseudouridine residues.

Reverse transcriptase as the major determinant for selective packaging of tRNA's into Avian sarcoma virus particles

Mutants of avian sarcoma virus which lack a functional DNA polymerase were found to be nonselective in the incorporation of host cell tRNA's into virus particles. In contrast, mutants which possess a functional DNA polymerase but lack the viral genome RNA contained a specific subset of the host cell tRNA population, indistinguishable from that of the wild-type virus. Thus the reverse transcriptase, and not the viral RNA, is probably the major factor determining which tRNA's are incorporated into avian sarcoma virus particles. Supporting evidence was obtained in an in vitro binding assay between purified reverse transcriptase and unfractionated cellular tRNA's. However, the subset of tRNA's which associated with the genome in the 70S complex was determined primarily by the viral RNA. In the absence of DNA polymerase, the 70S RNA complex in mature virus particles contained the normal complement of associated tRNA's with the exception of tRNATrp, the primer for RNA-directed DNA synthesis.

tRNA's and priming of RNA-directed DNA synthesis in mouse mammary tumor virus

The low-molecular-weight RNAs of mouse mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) were examined by two-dimensional acrylamide gel electrophoresis. Unlike other retroviruses, MuMTV was found to contain only two major fractions of tRNA. These have been fully characterized and shown to correspond to the published sequences for tRNA1+2Lys and tRNA3Lys. By determining which of these tRNA's was most tightly associated with the MuMTV genome and which of them acquired label from [alpha-32P]deoxynucleoside triphosphates in limited DNA synthesis reactions, we identified tRNA3Lys as the primer for MuMTV reverse transcription in vitro. tRNA3Lys does not share any unusual sequence feature with the other previously characterized retrovirus primers, tRNATrp and tRNAPro.

Sequence of retrovirus provirus resembles that of bacterial transposable elements

The nucleotide sequences of the terminal regions of an infectious integrated retrovirus cloned in the modified lambda phage cloning vector Charon 4A have been elucidated. There is a 569-base pair direct repeat at both ends of the viral DNA. The cell-virus junctions at each end consist of a 5-base pair direct repeat of cell DNA next to a 3-base pair inverted repeat of viral DNA. This structure resembles that of a transposable element and is consistent with the protovirus hypothesis that retroviruses evolved from the cell genome.