ASSOCIATION OF A HOST DNA-STRUCTURE WITH RETROVIRAL INTEGRATION SITESIN CHROMOSOMAL DNA

Integration of retroviral genomes is a site-specific process with resp ect to the virus but not the host genome. Numerous chromosomal sites a nd various sequences can be used as targets. Nevertheless, preferentia l regions and integration patterns have been observed. Using a functio nal assay, we investigated if host structural DNA elements could be as sociated with retroviral integration sites. The results were that 9 of 10 distinct retroviral integration events occurred in dose proximity of structural elements behaving like intrinsically bent DNA. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.