Integrase anchors viral RNA to the HIV-1 capsid interior - PubMed
4 days ago
- #cryo-EM
- #integrase
- #HIV-1
- HIV-1 integrase (IN) plays a crucial role in encapsulating viral genomic RNA into mature viral cores.
- The cryo-EM structure reveals a linear filament of IN octamer repeat units, stabilized by IN-RNA interactions involving the IN C-terminal domains and RNA backbone.
- The IN filament's spacing and orientation closely match those of consecutive capsid (CA) hexamers within the mature CA lattice.
- Each IN tetramer within the filament engages closely with the major homology regions of a CA hexamer.
- Mutations in IN-CA contact residues result in eccentric virions with RNA nucleoids located outside the cores.
- The study establishes the structural basis for the HIV-1 IN-RNA interaction and identifies IN as an RNA-binding module on the luminal side of the CA lattice.