Minus-strand DNA synthesis Authored: Gopinathrao, G, D'Eustachio, P, 2006-05-18 20:10:22 Edited: Gopinathrao, G, D'Eustachio, P, 2006-05-18 20:10:22 GENE ONTOLOGYGO:0006278 In the first part of reverse transcription, minus-strand synthesis, a DNA strand complementary to the HIV genomic RNA is synthesized, using the viral RNA as a template and a host cell lysine tRNA molecule as primer. The synthesis proceeds in two discrete steps, separated by a strand transfer event. As minus strand DNA is synthesized, the viral genomic RNA is degraded, also in several discrete steps. Two specific polypurine tracts (PPT sequences) in the viral RNA, one within the pol gene (central or cPPT) and one immediately preceding the U3 sequence (3' PPT) are spared from degradation and serve to prime synthesis of DNA complementary to the minus strand (plus-strand synthesis). During plus-strand synthesis, Preston and colleagues observed secondary sites of plus-strand initiation at low frequency both in the cell-free system and in cultured virus (Klarman et al., 1997). Both DNA synthesis and RNA degradation activities are catalyzed by the HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) heterodimer. Pubmed10723025 Pubmed1282352 Pubmed1382072 Pubmed7514143 Pubmed9371584 Reactome Database ID Release 43164516 Reactome, http://www.reactome.org ReactomeREACT_9055 Reviewed: Hughes, SH, 2006-10-30 22:00:51 minus-strand DNA synthesis PathwayStep3509 PathwayStep3508 PathwayStep3507 PathwayStep3506 PathwayStep3505 PathwayStep3504 PathwayStep3503 RNase H-mediated degradation of the template strand Minus strand DNA synthesis resumes RNase H-mediated cleavage of the template strand RNase H-mediated degradation of the RNA strand of the -sssDNA:RNA duplex First strand transfer mediated by Repeated (R) sequence RNase H-mediated cleavage of the RNA strand of the -sssDNA:RNA duplex Synthesis of minus strand strong stop DNA (-sssDNA)