N. Cheng et al., IDENTIFICATION OF THE NUCLEOTIDE-BINDING SITE OF HIV-1 REVERSE-TRANSCRIPTASE USING DTTP AS A PHOTOAFFINITY LABEL, Biochemistry, 32(30), 1993, pp. 7630-7634
We have utilized UV-induced cross-linking of [methyl-H-3]dTTP to ident
ify the nucleotide binding site on heterodimeric HIV-1 reverse transcr
iptase (RT). RT was derivatized by irradiating a solution containing [
methyl-H-3]dTTP and purified recombinant RT for 10 min. The UV-induced
cross-linking reaction between dTTP and RT is linear with time of UV
exposure up to 10 min, and it has been determined previously that dTTP
cross-linking is half-maximal at 90 muM [Cheng, N., Painter, G. R., &
Furmann, P.A. (1991) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 174, 785-789]. Un
der these reaction conditions, only the 66-kDa subunit of the 66-kDa/5
1-kDa RT heterodimer was labeled with dTTP. The [methyl-H-3]dTTP-label
ed RT was fragmented with trypsin and endoproteinase Asp-N, and peptid
es were purified on reversed phase HPLC. The peptide covalently linked
to [methyl-H-3]dTTP was subjected to amino acid sequence analysis. Th
e sequencing data localized the nucleotide binding site of RT to Lys-7
3 in the vicinity of several mutation sites linked to antiviral drug r
esistance. Since most effective anti-AIDS compounds are inhibitors of
RT, information about its dNTP binding site may make it possible to un
derstand the basis for the antiviral activity of nucleoside analogs su
ch as AZT, ddI, and ddC. This information may also be useful for a mor
e rationally based design of anti-HIV agents.