A cluster of strong topoisomerase II cleavage sites is located near an integrated human immunodeficiency virus.

The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) integrates into host cellular DNA as a double strand DNA molecule. Here a previously studied HIV isolate was examined for binding and cleavage by topoisomerase II in vitro within the 5' LTR region and human flanking DNA. A cluster of strong binding and cleavage sites in the human sequences was located approximately 850 bp upstream from the integration site. This region maps to a locus consisting of a complex repeating element, and alternating purine/pyrimidine sequences. Topoisomerase II binding and cleavage sites were also located within the HIV 5' LTR, in particular a site overlying the DNA sequence coding for TAR, another inverted repeat element in the DNA.