PROJECT 6

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Project VI: Reverse Transcriptase Complex (Aim III) Project Leader: Nicolas Sluis-Cremer Reverse transcription of the viral single-stranded (+) RNA genome into double-stranded DNA is an essential step in the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) life-cycle. Although recombinant purified viral reverse transcriptase (RT) can accomplish the DNA polymerization, strand-transfer, strand displacement, and ribonuclease H activities in vitro, in newly infected cells, the reverse transcription reaction is accomplished by RT molecules that are present within a reverse transcription complex (RTC) that includes other viral and cellular factors207'208. In this regard, RTCs have been shown to contain, in addition to RT, viral RNA, tRNALysS (which serves as a primer for reverse transcription), newly synthesized viral DNA, matrix, nucleocapsid, protease, Vpr, and integrase207. Several host factors such as HMGI, barrier to autointegration factor, and lens epithelium-derived growth factor/p75 may also be associated with the RTC207. Surprisingly, however, no host cell factors have been identified that specifically interact with RT.