A tetramer model for HIV-1 integrase (IN) with DNA representing 20 bp of the U3 and U5 long terminal repeats (LTR) termini was assembled using structural and biochemical data and molecular dynamics simulations. It predicted amino acid residues on the enzyme surface that can interact with the LTR termini. A separate structural alignment of HIV-1, simian sarcoma virus (SIV), and avian sarcoma virus (ASV) INs predicted which of these residues were unique. To determine whether these residues were responsible for specific recognition of the LTR termini, the amino acids from ASV IN were substituted into the structurally equivalent
HIV-12 DNA integration is a concerted process that occurs in defined stages. After assembly of a stable complex of the viral integrase (IN) and host cell proteins with specific DNA sequences at the end of the HIV-1 LTR, the terminal dinucleotides are removed from each 3Ј end by endonucleolytic processing. The viral DNA 3Ј ends are then covalently linked to the host cell target DNA in a concerted reaction. Biochemical details concerning the processing and joining steps in the integration process have been reported for several retroviruses including avian sarcomaleukosis virus (ASV), murine leukemia virus (MuLV), and HIV-1. Specific DNA sequences at the 3Ј end of the viral LTR are required for recognition by the assembled viral integrase complex. Typically, the terminal 12-20 nucleotides are sufficient. After 3Ј processing of the CAXX sequence from the ends, viral DNA ends are joined by the viral integrase and the gapped intermediates are repaired, and unpaired viral 5Ј ends are excised by host nucleases. This results in a 4 -6-base pair duplication of host cell DNA, depending upon the virus, flanking the integrated viral DNA. Both the 3Ј processing and viral DNA-host DNA joining steps require integrase to be assembled on the specific viral DNA substrate. Integration of viral into host DNA occurs with limited sequence specificity (1). Several cell proteins have been reported to affect the integration process (2-8).Much of the information available concerning the molecular mechanism of integration comes from the use of reconstituted systems employing duplex oligodeoxyribonucleotides (oligos). The ASV IN, for example, catalyzes specific cleavage at the 3Ј end of the strands adjacent to the conserved CA dinucleotide using 15-bp substrates corresponding to the ASV U3 or U5 termini (9, 10). Similar substrates were used to demonstrate the joining reaction in which one oligo integrated into another (11-12). For HIV-1 duplex oligo substrates of comparable size, selected nucleotide substitutions in the U5 and U3 LTR regions were shown to affect one or both of the catalytic functions of HIV-1 integrase. Nucleic acid substitutions in the HIV-1 U5 LTR region, for example, can inhibit 3Ј processing (e.g. positions 1-5 and 9 -11) or not (e.g. positions 6 -8 and 12-14) (13). Other changes at specific nucleic acid positions in the HIV-1 U3 and U5 LTR regions can affect each of the catalytic reactions, althou...