• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.30 no.9
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• pp.1273-1281
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• 2020

Due to the broad host suitability of viral vectors and their high gene delivery capacity, many researchers are focusing on viral vector-mediated gene therapy. Among the retroviruses, foamy viruses have been considered potential gene therapy vectors because of their non-pathogenicity. To date, the prototype foamy virus is the only retrovirus that has a high-resolution structure of intasomes, nucleoprotein complexes formed by integrase, and viral DNA. The integration of viral DNA into the host chromosome is an essential step for viral vector development. This process is mediated by virally encoded integrase, which catalyzes unique chemical reactions. Additionally, recent studies on foamy virus integrase elucidated the catalytic functions of its three distinct domains and their effect on viral pathogenicity. This review focuses on recent advancements in biochemical, structural, and functional studies of foamy virus integrase for gene therapy vector research.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.380-387
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• 2017

The foamy viruses are currently considered essential for development as vectors for gene delivery. Previous studies demonstrated that prototype foamy virus (PFV) can infect and replicate prevalently in a variety of cell types for its exclusive replication strategy. However, the virus-host interaction, especially PFV-transportin3 (TNPO3), is still poorly understood. In our investigation of the role of TNPO3 in PFV infection, we found lower virus production in TNPO3 knockdown (KD) cells compared with wild-type 293T cells. PCR analysis revealed that viral DNAs were mostly altered to circular forms: both 1-long terminal repeat (1-LTR) and 2-LTR in TNPO3 KD cells. We therefore suggest that TNPO3 is required for successful PFV replication, at least at/after the nuclear entry step of viral DNA. These findings highlight the obscure mysteries of PFV-host interaction and the requirement of TNPO3 for productive infection of PFV in 293T cells.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.968-973
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• 2010

In order to study its biochemical properties, the integrase (IN) protein of feline foamy virus (FFV) was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified by two-step chromatography, (Talon column and heparin column), and characterized in biochemical aspects. For the three enzymatic reactions of the 3'-processing, strand transfer, and disintegration activities, the $Mn^{2+}$ ion was essentially required as a cofactor. Interestingly, $Co^{2+}$ and $Zn^{2+}$ ions were found to act as effective cofactors, whereas other transition elements such as $Ni^{2+}$, $Cu^{2+}$, $La^{3+}$, $Y^{3+}$, $Cd^{2+}$, $Li^{1+}$, $Ba^{2+}$, $Sr^{2+}$, and $V^{3+}$ were not. Regarding the substrate specificity, FFV IN has low substrate specificities as it cleaved in a significant level prototype foamy virus (PFV) U5 LTR substrate as well as FFV U5 LTR substrate, whereas PFV IN did not. Finally, the 3'-processing activity was observed in high concentrations of several solvents such as CHAPS, glycerol, Tween 20, and Triton X-100, which are generally used for dissolution of chemicals in inhibitor screening. Therefore, in this first report showing its biochemical properties, FFV IN is proposed to have low specificities on the use of cofactor and substrate for enzymatic reaction as compared with other retroviral INs.

• BMB Reports
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2013

We constructed deletion mutants and seven point mutants by polymerase chain reaction to investigate the specificity of feline foamy virus integrase functional domains. Complementation reactions were performed for three enzymatic activities such as 3'-end processing, strand transfer, and disintegration. The complementation reactions with deletion mutants showed several activities for 3'-end processing and strand transfer. The conserved central domain and the combination of the N-terminal or C-terminal domains increased disintegration activity significantly. In the complementation reactions between deletion and point mutants, the combination between D107V and deletion mutants revealed 3'-end processing activities, but the combination with others did not have any activity, including strand transfer activities. Disintegration activity increased evenly, except the combination with glutamic acid 200. These results suggest that an intact central domain mediates enzymatic activities but fails to show these activities in the absence of the N-terminal or C-terminal domains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1044-1049
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• 2008

In order to study functional nucleotides in prototype foamy virus (PFV) DNA on specific recognition by PFV integrase (IN), we designed chimeric U5 long terminal repeat (LTR) DNA substrates by exchanging comparative sequences between human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) and PFV U5 LTRs, and investigated the 3'-end processing reactivity using HIV-1 and PFV INs, respectively. HIV-1 IN recognized the nucleotides present in the fifth and sixth positions at the 3'-end of the substrates more specifically than any other nucleotides in the viral DNA. However, PFV IN recognized the eighth and ninth nucleotides as distinctively as the fifth and sixth nucleotides in the reactions. In addition, none of the nucleotides present in the twelfth, sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth positions were not differentially recognized by HIV-1 and PFV INs, respectively. Therefore, our results suggest that the functional nucleotides that are specifically recognized by its own IN in the PFV U5 LTR are different from those in the HIV-1 U5 LTR in aspects of the positions and nucleotide sequences. Furthermore, it is proposed that the functional nucleotides related to the specific recognition by retroviral INs are present inside ten nucleotides from the 3'-end of the U5 LTR.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.125-130
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• 2008

The long terminal repeat (LTR) of retroviral DNA genome plays an important role in the integration process by providing substrate recognition site for viral integrase (IN). The dinucleotide CA near the 3'-end of the LTR termini is completely conserved among retoviruses. In order to study specificity of interaction between prototype foamy virus (PFV) IN and its U5 LTR DNA, the effect of mutagenesis of the CA sequence was investigated by studying reactivity of PFV IN to the mutant LTR substrates. Replacement of only the C or the A allowed 60 to 100% of the reactivity of the wild type LTR substrate. In addition, replacement of the C and the A showed 50 to 80% of the reactivity of the wild type LTR substrate, indicating that PFV IN has less specificity on the conserved CA sequence when it is compared to the other retroviral INs. Therefore it is suggested that PFV IN is less dependent on the conserved sequence of LTR termini for its enzymatic reaction.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.13-19
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• 2004

A bacterial expression vector for the human foamy virus (HFV) integrase was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. By two-step purification using a nickel-chelated column and a SP-sepharose chromatography; the HFV into-grase protein of 43 kDa was purified to near homogeneity, and used to investigate biochemical characteristics of the enzymatic activities, such as endonucleolytic and disintegration activities. Oligonucleotide substrates were specifically and efficiently cleaved by the purifed HFV integrase in the presence of Mn $^{+2}$, but not in the presence of Mg $^{+2}$, indicating that the HFV integrase is not able to use Mg $^{+2}$ as a cofactor Endonucleolytic reaction was almost completed in 60 min at 37 $^{\circ}C$. In addition, the maximum enzymatic activities were observed at 5 mM Mn $^{+2}$ in the buffer of which pH was from 7.0 to 9.0. The endonucleolytic activities were dose-dependently blocked in the addition of baicalein or chicolic acid which is a well-known inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus integrase.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.28 no.10
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• pp.1716-1722
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• 2018

Immunosuppressive drugs are used to make the body less likely to reject transplanted organs or to treat autoimmune diseases. In this study, five immunosuppressive drugs including two glucocorticoids (dexamethasone and prednisolone), one calcineurin inhibitor (cyclosporin A), one non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (aspirin), and one antimetabolite (methotrexate) were tested for their effects on viral proliferation using feline foamy virus (FFV). The five drugs had different cytotoxic effects on the Crandell-Ress feline kidney (CRFK) cells, the natural host cell of FFV. Dexamethasone-pretreated CRFK cells were susceptible to FFV infection, but pretreatment with prednisolone, cyclosporin A, aspirin, and methotrexate showed obvious inhibitory effects on FFV proliferation, by reducing viral production to 29.8-83.8% of that of an untreated control. These results were supported by western blot, which detected viral Gag structural protein in the infected cell lysate. As our results showed a correlation between immunosuppressive drugs and susceptibility to viral infections, it is proposed that immune-compromised individuals who are using immune-suppressive drugs may be especially vulnerable to viral infection originated from pets.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.93-98
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• 2006

Human foamy virus (HFV) integrase mediates integration of viral c-DNA into cellular DNA. In this process, HFV prointegration complex (PIC) in which integrase is a key component moves to nuclei of the infected cells and leads to integration of viral DNA to the cellular genome, which is essential in viral life cycle. In general nuclear localization signals (NLS) have been suggested to be involved in localizing retroviral PIC to nuclei, but the mechanisms for nuclear localization of the HFV PIC remains unclear. To functionally identify the NLS of HFV integrase, various subdomains of the protein were expressed as GFP fusions and their subcellular locations were analyzed with confocal laser scanning microscopy. Wild type HFV integrase was karyophilic by targeting the fusion protein to nuclei of the COS-1 and 293T cells. Our results showed that strong NLS of HFV integrase was mapped to the C-terminal regions. In addition the karyophilic properties of N-terminal and central regions are not individually strong enough to direct localization of the fusion proteins to nuclei, but their cooperative activity for nuclear import was confirmed.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.198-204
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• 2005

Human foamy virus (HFV) integrase mediates integration of viral c-DNA into cellular DNA. In this process, HFV integrase recognizes its own viral DNA specifically and catalyzes insertion of viral c-DNA. In order to study catalytic domains and residues, three deletion mutants and two point mutants of HFV integrase were constructed and analyzed with respect to enzymatic activities. The C-terminal deletion mutant showed decreased enzymatic activities while the N-terminal deletion mutant lost the activities completely, indicating that the N-terminal domain is more important than the C-terminal domain in enzymatic reaction. The point mutants, in which an aspartic acid at the 164th position or a glutamic acid at the 200th position of the HFV integrase protein was changed to an alanine, lost the enzymatic activities completely. However, they were well complemented with other defective deletion mutants to recover enzymatic activities partially. Therefore, these results suggest that the aspartic acid and glutamic acid at the respective 164th and 200th positions are catalytic residues for enzymatic reaction.