Biochemical screening assays to identify HIV-1 integrase inhibitors

Methods Mol Biol. 2013:1030:25-36. doi: 10.1007/978-1-62703-484-5_4.

Abstract

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) integrase is, in addition to reverse transcriptase and protease, an important enzymatic target for antiretroviral drug development. Integrase plays a critical role in the HIV-1 life cycle coordinating the integration of the reverse-transcribed viral DNA into the host genome. This integration step is the net result of two consecutive integrase-related processes. First, integrase removes a dinucleotide from the 3' viral DNA ends in a process called 3'-processing. Next, in a process called strand transfer, the viral DNA is integrated into the host genomic DNA. Early on, biochemical assays have played a critical role in understanding the function of HIV-1 integrase and the discovery of small-molecule inhibitors. In this chapter we describe two biochemical assays to identify inhibitors of the 3'-processing and strand transfer process of HIV-1 integrase.

MeSH terms

  • DNA, Viral / genetics
  • DNA, Viral / metabolism
  • HIV Integrase / metabolism*
  • HIV Integrase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • HIV-1 / drug effects*
  • HIV-1 / enzymology*
  • HIV-1 / genetics
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays / methods*
  • Humans
  • Virus Integration / drug effects

Substances

  • DNA, Viral
  • HIV Integrase Inhibitors
  • HIV Integrase
  • p31 integrase protein, Human immunodeficiency virus 1