Sallafranque-Andreola M L, Robert D, Barr P J, Fournier M, Litvak S, Sarih-Cottin L, Tarrago-Litvak L
Institut de Biochimie Cellulaire et de Neurochimie du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Bordeaux, France.
Eur J Biochem. 1989 Sep 15;184(2):367-74. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1989.tb15028.x.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase has been purified from yeast transformed by an autoreplicating plasmid containing the retroviral DNA polymerase gene. The previously described purification procedure for the yeast-expressed reverse transcriptase [Barr, P.J., Power, M.D., Chun Ting Lee-Ng, Gibson, H. & Luciw, P. (1987) Bio/Technology 5, 486-489] has been substantially modified, leading to an increased yield and a higher degree of purity. Several biochemical properties of the enzyme are described (template specificity, effect of DNA synthesis inhibitors); interestingly, HIV reverse transcriptase is highly resistant to N-ethylmaleimide. A complex between the human retroviral enzyme and the bovine tRNALys was shown, using a direct approach, by glycerol gradient centrifugation, as well as by the protective and specific effect of the tRNALys against enzyme inactivation by thermal denaturation and trypsin digestion. A competitive type of inhibition of HIV reverse transcriptase by tRNALys, but not by tRNAVal, is observed when viral RNA or activated DNA are used as templates.