Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Virology logoLink to Journal of Virology
. 1989 Jun;63(6):2629–2637. doi: 10.1128/jvi.63.6.2629-2637.1989

The palindromic LTR-LTR junction of Moloney murine leukemia virus is not an efficient substrate for proviral integration.

L I Lobel 1, J E Murphy 1, S P Goff 1
PMCID: PMC250744  PMID: 2724412

Abstract

We generated viral constructs to test the hypothesis that the major substrate on retroviral DNA that is utilized for proviral DNA integration is the palindromic sequence, termed the LTR-LTR junction, normally present in circular molecules formed by joining the two termini of linear proviral DNA. Recombinant viral genomes were built which carried a selectable marker and an extra copy of the LTR-LTR junction from a cloned circular provirus. The junction sequence in each case was positioned such that its use during integration would lead to an easily detected, aberrantly integrated proviral DNA. Analysis of DNA from cells infected with the virus constructs showed that the introduced junction sequence is used at least 1,000-fold less efficiently than the natural sequences at the ends of the genome. This suggests that a linear or more exotic DNA intermediate is most likely the true precursor for the integration reaction.

Full text

PDF
2633

Images in this article

2632Image
on p.2632
2634Image
on p.2634
2635Image
on p.2635

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Battula N., Loeb L. A. The infidelity of avian myeloblastosis virus deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase in polynucleotide replication. J Biol Chem. 1974 Jul 10;249(13):4086–4093. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Benton W. D., Davis R. W. Screening lambdagt recombinant clones by hybridization to single plaques in situ. Science. 1977 Apr 8;196(4286):180–182. doi: 10.1126/science.322279. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Brown P. O., Bowerman B., Varmus H. E., Bishop J. M. Correct integration of retroviral DNA in vitro. Cell. 1987 May 8;49(3):347–356. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90287-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cepko C. L., Roberts B. E., Mulligan R. C. Construction and applications of a highly transmissible murine retrovirus shuttle vector. Cell. 1984 Jul;37(3):1053–1062. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90440-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Colicelli J., Goff S. P. Mutants and pseudorevertants of Moloney murine leukemia virus with alterations at the integration site. Cell. 1985 Sep;42(2):573–580. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(85)90114-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dhar R., McClements W. L., Enquist L. W., Vande Woude G. F. Nucleotide sequences of integrated Moloney sarcoma provirus long terminal repeats and their host and viral junctions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jul;77(7):3937–3941. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.7.3937. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Duyk G., Leis J., Longiaru M., Skalka A. M. Selective cleavage in the avian retroviral long terminal repeat sequence by the endonuclease associated with the alpha beta form of avian reverse transcriptase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Nov;80(22):6745–6749. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.22.6745. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fujiwara T., Mizuuchi K. Retroviral DNA integration: structure of an integration intermediate. Cell. 1988 Aug 12;54(4):497–504. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(88)90071-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Gilboa E., Mitra S. W., Goff S., Baltimore D. A detailed model of reverse transcription and tests of crucial aspects. Cell. 1979 Sep;18(1):93–100. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90357-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gluzman Y. SV40-transformed simian cells support the replication of early SV40 mutants. Cell. 1981 Jan;23(1):175–182. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90282-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Goff S. P., Gilboa E., Witte O. N., Baltimore D. Structure of the Abelson murine leukemia virus genome and the homologous cellular gene: studies with cloned viral DNA. Cell. 1980 Dec;22(3):777–785. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90554-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Goff S., Traktman P., Baltimore D. Isolation and properties of Moloney murine leukemia virus mutants: use of a rapid assay for release of virion reverse transcriptase. J Virol. 1981 Apr;38(1):239–248. doi: 10.1128/jvi.38.1.239-248.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Golomb M., Grandgenett D. P. Endonuclease activity of purified RNA-directed DNA polymerase from avian myeloblastosis virus. J Biol Chem. 1979 Mar 10;254(5):1606–1613. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Grandgenett D. P., Vora A. C., Schiff R. D. A 32,000-dalton nucleic acid-binding protein from avian retravirus cores possesses DNA endonuclease activity. Virology. 1978 Aug;89(1):119–132. doi: 10.1016/0042-6822(78)90046-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hagino-Yamagishi K., Donehower L. A., Varmus H. E. Retroviral DNA integrated during infection by an integration-deficient mutant of murine leukemia virus is oligomeric. J Virol. 1987 Jun;61(6):1964–1971. doi: 10.1128/jvi.61.6.1964-1971.1987. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Hirt B. Selective extraction of polyoma DNA from infected mouse cell cultures. J Mol Biol. 1967 Jun 14;26(2):365–369. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(67)90307-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Hughes S. H., Mutschler A., Bishop J. M., Varmus H. E. A Rous sarcoma virus provirus is flanked by short direct repeats of a cellular DNA sequence present in only one copy prior to integration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1981 Jul;78(7):4299–4303. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.7.4299. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hughes S. H., Shank P. R., Spector D. H., Kung H. J., Bishop J. M., Varmus H. E., Vogt P. K., Breitman M. L. Proviruses of avian sarcoma virus are terminally redundant, co-extensive with unintegrated linear DNA and integrated at many sites. Cell. 1978 Dec;15(4):1397–1410. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90064-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kirschmeier P. T., Housey G. M., Johnson M. D., Perkins A. S., Weinstein I. B. Construction and characterization of a retroviral vector demonstrating efficient expression of cloned cDNA sequences. DNA. 1988 Apr;7(3):219–225. doi: 10.1089/dna.1988.7.219. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Leis J., Duyk G., Johnson S., Longiaru M., Skalka A. Mechanism of action of the endonuclease associated with the alpha beta and beta beta forms of avian RNA tumor virus reverse transcriptase. J Virol. 1983 Feb;45(2):727–739. doi: 10.1128/jvi.45.2.727-739.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Lerner N., Brigham S., Goff S., Bank A. Human beta-globin gene expression after gene transfer using retroviral vectors. DNA. 1987 Dec;6(6):573–582. doi: 10.1089/dna.1987.6.573. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Mann R., Mulligan R. C., Baltimore D. Construction of a retrovirus packaging mutant and its use to produce helper-free defective retrovirus. Cell. 1983 May;33(1):153–159. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(83)90344-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Maxam A. M., Gilbert W. Sequencing end-labeled DNA with base-specific chemical cleavages. Methods Enzymol. 1980;65(1):499–560. doi: 10.1016/s0076-6879(80)65059-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. McCutchan J. H., Pagano J. S. Enchancement of the infectivity of simian virus 40 deoxyribonucleic acid with diethylaminoethyl-dextran. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1968 Aug;41(2):351–357. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Panganiban A. T., Temin H. M. Circles with two tandem LTRs are precursors to integrated retrovirus DNA. Cell. 1984 Mar;36(3):673–679. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(84)90347-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Panganiban A. T., Temin H. M. The terminal nucleotides of retrovirus DNA are required for integration but not virus production. Nature. 1983 Nov 10;306(5939):155–160. doi: 10.1038/306155a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Perucho M., Hanahan D., Wigler M. Genetic and physical linkage of exogenous sequences in transformed cells. Cell. 1980 Nov;22(1 Pt 1):309–317. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90178-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Rigby P. W., Dieckmann M., Rhodes C., Berg P. Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid to high specific activity in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J Mol Biol. 1977 Jun 15;113(1):237–251. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90052-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Shank P. R., Hughes S. H., Kung H. J., Majors J. E., Quintrell N., Guntaka R. V., Bishop J. M., Varmus H. E. Mapping unintegrated avian sarcoma virus DNA: termini of linear DNA bear 300 nucleotides present once or twice in two species of circular DNA. Cell. 1978 Dec;15(4):1383–1395. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(78)90063-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Shank P. R., Varmus H. E. Virus-specific DNA in the cytoplasm of avian sarcoma virus-infected cells is a precursor to covalently closed circular viral DNA in the nucleus. J Virol. 1978 Jan;25(1):104–104. doi: 10.1128/jvi.25.1.104-104.1978. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Shimotohno K., Mizutani S., Temin H. M. Sequence of retrovirus provirus resembles that of bacterial transposable elements. Nature. 1980 Jun 19;285(5766):550–554. doi: 10.1038/285550a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Shinnick T. M., Lerner R. A., Sutcliffe J. G. Nucleotide sequence of Moloney murine leukaemia virus. Nature. 1981 Oct 15;293(5833):543–548. doi: 10.1038/293543a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Shoemaker C., Goff S., Gilboa E., Paskind M., Mitra S. W., Baltimore D. Structure of a cloned circular Moloney murine leukemia virus DNA molecule containing an inverted segment: implications for retrovirus integration. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Jul;77(7):3932–3936. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.7.3932. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Shoemaker C., Hoffman J., Goff S. P., Baltimore D. Intramolecular integration within Moloney murine leukemia virus DNA. J Virol. 1981 Oct;40(1):164–172. doi: 10.1128/jvi.40.1.164-172.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Southern E. M. Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol. 1975 Nov 5;98(3):503–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(75)80083-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  36. Southern P. J., Berg P. Transformation of mammalian cells to antibiotic resistance with a bacterial gene under control of the SV40 early region promoter. J Mol Appl Genet. 1982;1(4):327–341. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  37. Van Beveren C., Rands E., Chattopadhyay S. K., Lowy D. R., Verma I. M. Long terminal repeat of murine retroviral DNAs: sequence analysis, host-proviral junctions, and preintegration site. J Virol. 1982 Feb;41(2):542–556. doi: 10.1128/jvi.41.2.542-556.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  38. Wahl G. M., Stern M., Stark G. R. Efficient transfer of large DNA fragments from agarose gels to diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper and rapid hybridization by using dextran sulfate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Aug;76(8):3683–3687. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.8.3683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  39. Wigler M., Sweet R., Sim G. K., Wold B., Pellicer A., Lacy E., Maniatis T., Silverstein S., Axel R. Transformation of mammalian cells with genes from procaryotes and eucaryotes. Cell. 1979 Apr;16(4):777–785. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90093-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  40. Yoshimura F. K., Weinberg R. A. Restriction endonuclease cleavage of linear and closed circular murine leukemia viral DNAs: discovery of a smaller circular form. Cell. 1979 Feb;16(2):323–332. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(79)90009-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Virology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES