Molecular biological characterization of the human foamy virus reverse transcriptase and ribonuclease H domains

Foamy viruses form a separate group of retroviruses encoding a pol protein with at least four domains based on comparative sequence alignments. The polymerase and ribonuclease H domains of the human foamy virus (HFV) pol gene were expressed in Escherichia coli either individually or in combination. The histidine-tagged HFV fusion proteins were subsequently purified to near homogeneity by affinity Ni²⁺ chelate column chromatography. The polymerase and RNase H activities were characterized by performing conventional DNA polymerase and ribonuclease H assays and in situ gel assays. Six purified recombinant HFV proteins were enzymatically active either individually as DNA polymerase and ribonuclease H or as combined domains. The HFV enzymatic activities were characterized with respect to cation preferences and pH optima. Western blots with antibodies against the RNase H domain, in situ reverse transcriptase (RT), and RNase H gel assays showed that in HFV-infected cells pol proteins of 120 and 80 kDa were detectable. A novel activity band of 60 kDa was found in in situ RT gel assays. Recombinant RNase H protein additionally purified by fast performance liquid chromatography was capable of removing the primer for minus-strand DNA synthesis when labeled tRNA_1,2(Lys) model substrates were used. Specific cleavages occurred at the phosphodiester bonds one to three nucleotides 5' of the RNA-DNA junction. The results revealed biochemical properties of the HFV pol gene products that define functional domains of the HFV pol gene that are distinct but comparable to other retroviruses.