Author/Authors :
Agapkina, Y.Y Lomonosov Moscow State University - Chemistry Department and Belozersky Institute of Physical Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia , Pustovarova, M.a Lomonosov Moscow State University - Chemistry Department and Belozersky Institute of Physical Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia , Korolev, S.P Lomonosov Moscow State University - Chemistry Department and Belozersky Institute of Physical Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia , Zyryanova, D.P State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector”, Koltsovo, Russia , Ivlev, V.V State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector”, Koltsovo, Russia , Totmenin, A.V State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector”, Koltsovo, Russia , Gashnikova, N.M State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector”, Koltsovo, Russia , Gottikh, M.B Lomonosov Moscow State University - Chemistry Department and Belozersky Institute of Physical Chemical Biology, Moscow, Russia
Abstract :
The high genetic variability of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1) leads to a constant emergence of new genetic variants, including the recombinant virus CRF63_02A1, which is widespread in the Siberian Federal District of Russia. We studied HIV-1 CRF63_02A1 integrase (IN_CRF) catalyzing the incor-poration of viral DNA into the genome of an infected cell. The consensus sequence was designed, recombinant integrase was obtained, and its DNA-binding and catalytic activities were characterized. The stability of the IN_CRF complex with the DNA substrate did not differ from the complex stability for subtype A and B integras-es; however, the rate of complex formation was significantly higher. The rates and efficiencies of 3’-processing and strand transfer reactions catalyzed by IN_CRF were found to be higher, too. Apparently, all these distinctive features of IN_CRF may result from specific amino acid substitutions in its N-terminal domain, which plays an important role in enzyme multimerization and binding to the DNA substrate. It was also found that the drug resistance mutations Q148K/G140S and G118R/E138K significantly reduce the catalytic activity of IN_CRF and its sensitivity to the strand transfer inhibitor raltegravir. Reduction in sensitivity to raltegravir was found to be much stronger in the case of double-mutation Q148K/G140S.
Keywords :
drug resistance mutations , strand transfer inhibitor , integrase , CRF63_02A1 genetic variant , human immunodeficiency virus
