Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “reverse transcriptase”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase: structure predictions for the polymerase domain.

Reverse transcriptase (RT) plays an essential role in the life cycle of the human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV). A better understanding of this enzyme, and its two catalytic functions, the DNA polymerase and the RNase H, could lead to the development of new drugs that would specifically block HIV replication. The available genetic, sequence, biochemical, and immunological data on the reverse transcriptase of HIV-1 constrain the possible structure of the DNA polymerase domain. The purpose of this review is to correlate the data and to discuss, in light of that data, a model for the structure of the polymerase domain. In this model, the polymerase domain is approximately 50 to 60 A in diameter with a 20 A opening to accommodate the nucleic acid duplex. The most evolutionarily conserved region of RT (amino acids 20-190 of HIV-1 RT) is proposed to form the inner surface of the 20 A opening to which the nucleic acid hemiduplex is bound.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1986

PPi analogs as inhibitors of human T-lymphotropic virus type III reverse transcriptase.

Twenty-six PPi analogs were tested for inhibitory effects on human T-lymphotropic virus type III reverse transcriptase. The structural requirements for inhibition and mechanism of action of the most active inhibitors have been investigated. Foscarnet (phosphonoformic acid) was the most potent inhibitor of human T-lymphotropic virus type III reverse transcriptase with 50% inhibition at 0.5 microM. The mechanism was a noncompetitive type of inhibition of a (riboadenylic acid)n . (deoxythymidylic acid)12-18 [(rA)n(dT)12-18]-directed transcription at varied dTTP concentration. At constant substrate (dTTP) concentration and varied amounts of template, (rA)n(dT)12-18, the inhibitory action of foscarnet was of an uncompetitive type. The same pattern of inhibition was seen when the less active inhibitor carbonyldiphosphonate was studied under identical conditions. The structural requirements for inhibition of human T-lymphotropic virus type III reverse transcriptase by PPi analogs were similar to those shown by other reverse transcriptases.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed1988

Low fidelity of cell-free DNA synthesis by reverse transcriptase of human immunodeficiency virus.

The fidelity of DNA synthesis by reverse transcriptases from human immunodeficiency virus and other retroviruses was compared by measuring the rates of misincorporation of dCMP in the place of TMP in cell-free DNA synthesis with polyadenylic acid as the template. The fidelity of human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase was found to be about one-third of that of the reverse transcriptases of other retroviruses.

Autoradiography↗
PubMed1995

Detection of reverse transcriptase in culture medium for mammary tumour cell lines: a comparison of an established radio-labelling technique and a contemporary non-isotopic technique.

Classically, radio-label techniques have been employed to analyse biological samples for reverse transcriptase (RT) activity. More recently, however, non-isotopic kits have been developed for retroviral quantification. Nevertheless, until the present investigation it has not been known if these contemporary methods are more sensitive at detecting reverse transcriptase activity. In our study, a non-isotopic ELISA method was shown to be considerably more sensitive than the radio-label technique at detecting reverse transcriptase in growth medium used to culture the murine breast cancer cell line GR/A. Using the ELISA, less reverse transcriptase activity was demonstrated in growth medium from human mammary adenocarcinoma MCF-7 cells than the murine source. This ELISA did not detect reverse transcriptase activity from a pure source of Moloney murine leukaemia virus. In light of this, the broad applicability of this ELISA for reverse transcriptase from different viral sources must be investigated before it can be used to monitor biological supernatants for the presence of retroviruses.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Co-expression of the subunits of the heterodimer of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase in Escherichia coli.

Expression of the 66-kDa form of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 reverse transcriptase in Escherichia coli leads to isolation of small amounts of a 2 x 66-kDa homodimer and larger amounts of a heterodimer form of the enzyme in which the 66-kDa protein is complexed with its carboxyl-terminally truncated is complexed with its carboxyl-terminally truncated 51-kDa form. The latter arises via proteolysis by contaminating proteases. The heterodimer, which was characterized by gel filtration (apparent native molecular mass of 120-130 kDa), was the most active form of the enzyme (specific activity, 5000 units/mg, cf. less than 2000 for the 66-kDa fragment). The 66-kDa fragment alone was shown to be only partially dimerized, with the activity residing mainly in the dimer fraction. Proteolysis of the 66-kDa form resulting partially in the 51-kDa form led to an increase in reverse transcriptase activity. Expression of a truncated version of the protein containing the first 428 amino acids of the reverse transcriptase coding region led to a protein which had low but measurable reverse transcriptase activity (400-500 units/mg). Co-expression of the two proteins on a single plasmid led to expression in a 1:1 ratio. The 1:1 mixture behaved as a heterodimer, as shown by its chromatographic properties. It is likely that the mechanism for the production of heterodimers in vivo involves cleavage of 66-kDa monomers followed by rapid dimerization of the 51- and 66-kDa forms to give the heterodimeric form, which is stable toward further proteolysis.

Catalysis↗
PubMed1988

HIV-1 reverse transcriptase: crystallization and analysis of domain structure by limited proteolysis.

Bacterially expressed recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is active as both a homodimer of Mr 66,000 subunits and a heterodimer of Mr 66,000 and 51,000 subunits. The heterodimer is formed by cleavage of a C-terminal fragment from one Mr 66,000 polypeptide, which occurs during purification and crystallization of reverse transcriptase. Thus, crystals obtained from purified Mr 66,000 polypeptide preparations consisted of an apparently equimolar mixture of Mr 66,000 and 51,000 polypeptides, which were apparently analogous to the Mr 66,000 and 51,000 polypeptides detected in HIV-infected cells and in virions. Limited proteolysis of the homodimer with alpha-chymotrypsin also resulted in cleavage to a stable Mr 66,000/51,000 mixture, and proteolysis with trypsin resulted in the transient formation of some Mr 51,000 polypeptide. These results are consistent with the reverse transcriptase molecule having a protease-sensitive linker region following a structured domain of Mr 51,000. Further digestion with trypsin resulted in cleavage of the Mr 51,000 polypeptide after residue 223, yielding peptides of apparent Mr 29,000 and 30,000. A minor peptide of Mr 40,000 was also produced by cleavage of the Mr 66,000 polypeptide after residue 223. About half the original Mr 66,000 polypeptides remained resistant to proteolysis and existed in complex with the above peptides in solution. During both chymotrypsin and trypsin digestion there was an increase in the reverse transcriptase activity caused by a doubling of Vmax with little change in Km for dTTP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1977

A reverse transcriptase assay for detection of the bovine leukemia virus.

An RNA-dependent DNA polymerase or reverse transcriptase has been demonstrated in highly purified bovine leukemia virus (BLV) particles. The viral enzyme responded very effectively to the exogenous template primer polyneucleotide (poly) (rA)-oligonucleotide (oligo) (dT). Unlike the reverse transcriptases of most mammalian C type RNA viruses, and of the ubliquitous foamy-like bovine syncytial virus, the BLV enzyme prefers magnesium rather than manganese for optimal activity. The identification of several other conditions required for optimal activity of the viral reverse transcriptase led to the development of a rapid, sensitive, semiquantitative assay, which is comparable in sensitivity to the syncytia-infectivity assay for the detection of BLV in supernatant fluids of monolayer cell cultures. However, the reverse transcriptase assay is not sufficiently reproducible for obtaining routine detection of BLV in short-term cultures of bovine peripheral blood lymphocytes. Therefore, this assay does not seem to provide an accurate method for the diagnosis of BL virus infection in cattle.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1991

Fidelity of reverse transcriptase of the simian immunodeficiency virus from African green monkey.

The in vitro fidelity of highly purified recombinant reverse transcriptase from simian immunodeficiency virus of African green monkeys (SIVagm) was determined. By using the phi X174am16 reversion assay an overall error rate of 1/19,000 was determined. This is 2.4-fold higher than the overall accuracy of purified recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, measured in parallel. The evaluation of error frequencies from nucleotide pool bias studies suggest an even higher accuracy for the SIVagm-derived reverse transcriptase. T:dGMP mismatches were formed most frequently with an error rate of 1/155,000, followed by G:dGMP (1/230,000), A:dGMP (1/315,000), G:dAMP (1/340,000), T:dCMP (1/540,000), T:dTMP (1/790,000), and A:dCMP (1/1,050,000) mispairs. Thus, according to pool bias effects and depending on the mismatch under consideration SIVagm reverse transcriptase appears to be 2 to 20-fold more accurate than the homologous enzyme from the human immunodeficiency virus type 1. This higher accuracy is not due to a co-purifying exonuclaease activity. Like the enzyme from HIV-1, the simian monkey-derived enzyme was found to be devoid of a proofreading 3' to 5' exonuclease.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Detection of reverse transcriptase activity in association with the non-A, non-B hepatitis agent(s).

Particle-associated reverse transcriptase activity was detected in four human serum specimens and in two plasma-derived products, all of which had been shown to transmit non-A, non-B hepatitis (NANBH) to other human beings and/or chimpanzees. Reverse transcriptase activity was also detected in all twelve sera from patients with acute or chronic NANBH. In contrast, reverse transcriptase activity was found in only 2 of 49 serum specimens from healthy plasma donors and laboratory workers. Sucrose density gradient fractions of two of the infectious human sera (peak reverse transcriptase activity at 1.14 g/ml) transmitted NANBH to chimpanzees. Biochemical and enzymatic data indicate that the NANBH agent(s) is a retrovirus or is retrovirus-like.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Differential inhibition of reverse transcriptase and various DNA polymerases by digallic acid and its derivatives.

Digallic acid (gallic acid 5,6-dihydroxy-3-carboxyphenyl ester) [4] was found to be a potent inhibitor of the activities of the reverse transcriptases from murine leukemia virus (MLV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Under the reaction conditions specified for each of MLV and HIV reverse transcriptases, both enzymes were inhibited by approximately 90% in the presence of 0.5 micrograms/ml digallic acid. Under the same conditions, however, gallic acid had no effect on the reverse transcriptase activity. The mode of the inhibition by digallic acid was partially competitive with respect to the template.primer, (rA)n.(dT)12-18', and noncompetitive to the triphosphate substrate, dTTP. The Ki value of digallic acid for HIV-reverse transcriptase was determined to be 0.58 microM. Examination of several derivatives of digallic acid have shown that all three hydroxyl groups at the 3, 4, and 5 positions seem to be required for the inhibitory activity of these compounds. Besides reverse transcriptase, DNA polymerases alpha and beta were moderately inhibited by digallic acid, whereas DNA polymerase gamma, terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase, and E. coli DNA polymerase I were virtually insensitive to inhibition by this compound.

Depsides↗
PubMed1989

The hepatitis B virus-associated reverse transcriptase is encoded by the viral pol gene.

We have used activity gel analysis and immunoblotting to provide evidence linking the hepatitis B virus (HBV) reverse transcriptase with its longest unassigned open reading frame (polymerase [Pol]-ORF). Activity gel analysis demonstrated that infectious HBV particles secreted by the Hep 2.2.15 cell line contain major (approximately 70 kilodaltons [kDa]) and minor (approximately 90 kDa) reverse transcriptase activities. By Western immunoblotting, we detected in both HBV particles and Hep 2.2.15 cell extract a approximately 70-kDa Pol-specific peptide. This approximately 70-kDa peptide reacted with antisera directed against the carboxy terminus of the pol gene product. No such immunoreactivity was observed with antisera against the amino terminus of the Pol peptide. The reverse transcriptase protein which was eluted from the major approximately 70-kDa region detected on an activity gel reacted with Pol-specific antisera. Furthermore, reverse transcriptase activity was immunoprecipitated from dissociated HBV particles by using Pol-specific antisera. On the basis of our results, we suggest that HBV encodes its reverse transcriptase from the Pol-ORF.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed1989

Human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase expressed in transformed yeast cells. Biochemical properties and interactions with bovine tRNALys.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase has been purified from yeast transformed by an autoreplicating plasmid containing the retroviral DNA polymerase gene. The previously described purification procedure for the yeast-expressed reverse transcriptase [Barr, P.J., Power, M.D., Chun Ting Lee-Ng, Gibson, H. & Luciw, P. (1987) Bio/Technology 5, 486-489] has been substantially modified, leading to an increased yield and a higher degree of purity. Several biochemical properties of the enzyme are described (template specificity, effect of DNA synthesis inhibitors); interestingly, HIV reverse transcriptase is highly resistant to N-ethylmaleimide. A complex between the human retroviral enzyme and the bovine tRNALys was shown, using a direct approach, by glycerol gradient centrifugation, as well as by the protective and specific effect of the tRNALys against enzyme inactivation by thermal denaturation and trypsin digestion. A competitive type of inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase by tRNALys, but not by tRNAVal, is observed when viral RNA or activated DNA are used as templates.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Hemin inhibits virion-associated reverse transcriptase of murine leukemia virus.

The virion-associated reverse transcriptase activity of Rauscher murine leukemia virus was inhibited by freshly prepared hemin at a concentration of 10(-4) M. When the hemin solution was aged at room temperature for 5 days, the concentration of 50% inhibition decreased to as low as 10(-7) M. Removal of O2 from the solution partially prevented the aging. The hemin inhibition was reversible and appears to be directed against the enzyme rather than the template. Hemin did not inhibit the activity of reverse transcriptase purified from avian myeloblastosis virus.

Heme↗
PubMed1990

Identification of the reverse transcriptase encoded by the Mauriceville and Varkud mitochondrial plasmids of Neurospora.

The Mauriceville and Varkud mitochondrial plasmids of Neurospora are closely related, closed-circular DNAs (3.6 and 3.7 kilobases, respectively) that have characteristics of mtDNA introns and retroid elements. The plasmids contain a single long open reading frame (710 amino acids), whose amino-terminal half has structural similarity to reverse transcriptases. Using antibodies against synthetic peptides and trpE fusion proteins, we detected an 81-kDa protein encoded by this open reading frame in mitochondrial preparations from the plasmid-containing strains. This 81-kDa protein cosegregates with reverse transcriptase activity in sexual crosses and comigrates with reverse transcriptase activity in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels, where it can be assayed after renaturation of the protein. In glycerol gradients under nondenaturing conditions, the reverse transcriptase activity sediments at approximately 145 kDa, close to the value expected for a dimer of the 81-kDa protein. The 81-kDa protein represents most of the 710-amino acid open reading frame, but may be missing some amino acids at the amino terminus. The regions upstream and downstream of the putative reverse transcriptase domain lack sequences characteristic of gag, protease, RNase H, or integrase domains found in other retroid elements. The plasmid-encoded 81-kDa protein seems to be a novel type of reverse transcriptase that may provide insight into the evolution of these enzymes.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed1995

Molecular staging of prostate cancer. II. A comparison of the application of an enhanced reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for prostate specific antigen versus prostate specific membrane antigen.

Current imaging modalities used to stage prostate cancer clinically fail to detect extracapsular disease in a significant subset of patients. A molecular based peripheral blood assay using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction has recently been shown to be a highly sensitive staging modality for detecting extraprostatic disease preoperatively. The assay uses primers that are specific for prostate specific antigen (PSA). We compare the application of the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay using primers specific for the human prostate specific membrane antigen with results obtained from the same specimens by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction for PSA. Prostate specific membrane antigen, a recently cloned prostatic antigen, is a transmembrane glycoprotein that has been described as prostate specific. These assays were applied to ribonucleic acids extracted from the peripheral blood lymphocyte fraction of 80 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer. In addition, blood specimens from 20 female patients, 20 young male patients, 25 age-matched control men under treatment for benign prostatic hypertrophy and 20 men with established, untreated metastatic prostate cancer were tested. All 3 groups of noncancer patients had negative polymerase chain reactions for PSA as well as prostate specific membrane antigen. Of 20 metastatic prostate cancer patients 16 (80%) had positive polymerase chain reactions for PSA, while only 10 (50%) had positive results for prostate specific membrane antigen. Among the 80 patients with clinically localized disease (stages T1 to T2cN0M0), 27 and 19 had positive polymerase chain reaction for PSA and prostate specific membrane antigen, respectively, from blood specimens obtained preoperatively. Analyzing the final pathology in each patient with the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay identified a significantly stronger correlation with tumor invasion using the results of the PSA test rather than the results of the prostate specific membrane antigen reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction test (67% versus 34% sensitivity for detecting capsular penetration, 87% versus 46% sensitivity for detecting disease to the surgical margin and 83% versus 16% sensitivity for detecting seminal vesicle invasion). In contrast to the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for PSA, a similar assay done for prostate specific membrane antigen did not correlate with pathological stage of prostate cancer.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1982

Stereochemical course of polymerization catalyzed by avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase.

The Sp diastereomer of thymidine 5'-O-(1-thiotriphosphate) was polymerized by avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase using poly(A) . d(pT)10 as template-primer. Degradation of the template poly(A) by alkaline hydrolysis and isolation by gel chromatography gave a single-stranded poly(d(p(S)T)), a polymer of thymidine 5'-phosphorothioate. To determine the configuration of the phosphorothioate internucleotide linkage, this material was degraded by snake venom phosphodiesterase. Comparison of the rates of degradation by snake venom phosphodiesterase of poly(d(p(S)T)) prepared by reverse transcriptase and DNA polymerase I showed them to be very similar. Since it has been established earlier than the latter enzyme produces polymers with phosphorothioate linkages of the Rp configuration (Burgers, P. M. J., and Eckstein, F. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 6889-6893), it is concluded that the polymer produces by reverse transcriptase has the same stereochemistry. Further proof for this assignment comes from comparison by 31P nmr of this polymer with the diastereomers of synthetic 5'-O-thymidyl 3'-O-thymidyl phosphorothioate. The chemical shift observed for the polymer was identical with that of the Rp isomer of 5'-O-thymidyl 3'-O-thymidyl phosphorothioate. Avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase therefore polymerizes deoxynucleoside 5'-triphosphates with inversion of configuration at the alpha-phosphorus. This result indicates that direct nucleophilic attack by the 3-hydroxyl group of the growing polymer on the alpha-phosphoryl group occurs without formation of a covalent enzyme intermediate.

Avian Leukosis Virus↗
PubMed1993

Thiazolobenzimidazole: biological and biochemical anti-retroviral activity of a new nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor.

Thiazolobenzimidazole (NSC 625487) was a highly potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus-induced cell killing and viral replication in a variety of human cell lines, as well as fresh human peripheral blood lymphocytes and macrophages. The compound was active against a panel of biologically diverse laboratory and clinical strains of HIV-1, including the AZT-resistant strain G910-6. However, the agent was inactive against HIV-2 and a pyridinone-resistant strain (A17) of HIV-1, a strain which is cross-resistant to several structurally diverse members of a common pharmacologic class of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. The compound selectively inhibited HIV-1 reverse transcriptase but not HIV-2 reverse transcriptase. Combinations of thiazolobenzimidazole with either AZT or ddI synergistically inhibited HIV-1 induced cell killing in vitro. Thiazolobenzimidazole also inhibited the replication of the Rauscher murine leukemia retrovirus. Thus, thiazolobenzimidazole is a new active anti-HIV-1 chemotype and may represent a subclass of nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors with an enhanced range of anti-retroviral activity.

Antiviral Agents↗
PubMed1990

Reverse transcriptases and genomic variability: the accuracy of DNA replication is enzyme specific and sequence dependent.

Kinetics of incorporation of correct and incorrect deoxynucleotides by three reverse transcriptases have been followed, by gel assay, on a series of DNA templates, including part of the HIV-1 gag DNA minus strand. Insertion kinetics for the properly matched nucleotide at a given place on the template vary strongly from one enzyme to the next. No significant correlation is found between the site-specific Michaelis constants, while the maximal velocities are more closely connected. For a given reverse transcriptase these parameters are strongly influenced by the DNA sequence. A systematic evaluation of the frequencies of misincorporation was then performed at 46 positions. Again great variability was found, precluding a very accurate evaluation of an average misincorporation frequency for a given enzyme and a given mismatch. Qualitatively however, HIV-1 reverse transcriptase is certainly not more error-prone in this assay than the other enzymes assayed. The patterns of misincorporations were again very dependent on the enzyme used to replicate a given template. The variability of the gag sequence observed in vivo among various HIV-1 isolates was compared with the patterns of misincorporations obtained in vitro on the same sequence with HIV-1, AMV and MoMLV reverse transcriptases. A fair agreement was found with the pattern observed in the polymerization directed by the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. The correlation is less important in the two other cases. However some specific changes observed in vivo cannot be accounted for by our misincorporation assay, even when performed with the homologous enzyme, suggesting that an important class of mismatches can only be generated during reverse transcription of the RNA strand. Additional data, using a complementary DNA (positive) strand as a gag template support this hypothesis.

Avian Myeloblastosis Virus↗