Eg. Argyris et al., The connection domain is implicated in metalloporphyrin binding and inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase, J BIOL CHEM, 274(3), 1999, pp. 1549-1556
We have shown that heme and zinc protoporphyrin inhibit both human immunode
ficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2) reverse transcriptases (RT
s) and, in combination with other nucleoside and non-nucleoside inhibitors,
exert an additive effect on HIV-1 RT inhibition. Screening of a phage pept
ide library against heme resulted in the isolation of a peptide with sequen
ce similarity to sequence 398-407 from the connection subdomain of both HIV
-1 and HIV-2 RTs, suggesting that this highly conserved region of HIV RTs c
orresponds to the binding site for metalloporphyrins and a new site for inh
ibition of enzyme activity Inclusion of a synthetic peptide corresponding t
o the exact sequence 398-407 of HIV-1 RT in RT inhibition assays had a prot
ective effect on metalloporphyrin inhibition, as it was able to reverse the
inhibitory effect of both metalloporphyrins on HIV-1 RT activity. Furtherm
ore, intrinsic fluorescence assays indicated that these metalloporphyrins b
ind to synthetic peptide 398-407 as well as to intact dimeric HIV-1 RT. The
identification of this novel inhibition site will help to expand our under
standing of the rode of action of metalloporphyrins in RT inhibition and wi
ll assist in the design and development of more potent metalloporphyrin RT
inhibitors for the management of HIV infection.