CD44+ CD24(-) prostate cells are early cancer progenitor/stem cells that provide a model for patients with poor prognosis.

Recent evidence supports the hypothesis that cancer stem cells are responsible for tumour initiation and formation. Using flow cytometry, we isolated a population of CD44+CD24(-) prostate cells that display stem cell characteristics as well as gene expression patterns that predict overall survival in prostate cancer patients. CD44+CD24(-) cells form colonies in soft agar and form tumours in NOD/SCID mice when as few as 100 cells are injected. Furthermore, CD44+CD24(-) cells express genes known to be important in stem cell maintenance, such as BMI-1 and Oct-3/4. Moreover, we can maintain CD44+CD24(-) prostate stem-like cells as nonadherent spheres in serum-replacement media without substantially shifting gene expression. Addition of serum results in adherence to plastic and shifts gene expression patterns to resemble the differentiated parental cells. Thus, we propose that CD44+CD24(-) prostate cells are stem-like cells responsible for tumour initiation and we provide a genomic definition of these cells and the differentiated cells they give rise to. Furthermore, gene expression patterns of CD44+CD24(-) cells have a genomic signature that is predictive of poor patient prognosis. Therefore, CD44+CD24(-) LNCaP prostate cells offer an attractive model system to both explore the biology important to the maintenance and differentiation of prostate cancer stem cells as well as to develop the therapeutics, as the gene expression pattern in these cells is consistent with poor survival in prostate cancer patients.

Site-specific incorporation of nucleoside analogs by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and the template grip mutant P157S. Template interactions influence substrate recognition at the polymerase active site.

Studies of drug-resistant reverse transcriptases (RTs) reveal the roles of specific structural elements and amino acids in polymerase function. To characterize better the effects of RT/template interactions on dNTP substrate recognition, we examined the sensitivity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RT containing a new mutation in a "template grip" residue (P157S) to the 5'-triphosphates of (-)-beta-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC), (-)-beta-2',3'-dideoxy-5-fluoro-3'-thiacytidine (FTC), and 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT). A primer extension assay was used to monitor quantitatively drug monophosphate incorporation opposite each of multiple target sites. Wild-type and P157S RTs had similar catalytic activities and processivities on heteropolymeric RNA and DNA templates. When averaged over multiple template sites, P157S RT was 2-7-fold resistant to the 5'-triphosphates of 3TC, FTC, and AZT. Each drug triphosphate inhibited polymerization more efficiently on the DNA template compared with an RNA template of identical sequence. Moreover, chain termination by 3TC and FTC was strongly influenced by template sequence context. Incorporation of FTC and 3TC monophosphate varied up to 10-fold opposite 7 different G residues in the DNA template, and the P157S mutation altered this site specificity. In summary, these data identify Pro(157) as an important residue affecting nucleoside analog resistance and suggest that interactions between RT and the template strand influence dNTP substrate recognition at the RT active site. Our findings are discussed within the context of the HIV-1 RT structure.

High rate of recombination throughout the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 genome.

The diploid nature of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) indicates that recombination serves a central function in virus replication and evolution. Previously, while examining the nature of obligatory primer strand transfers during reverse transcription, a high rate of recombination was observed at the ends of the viral genome within the viral long terminal repeats, prompting the following question: does recombination occur at a high rate throughout the genome? To address this question, two vectors based upon different strains of HIV-1 were utilized. The vectors were comprised predominantly of autologous HIV-1 sequence and were approximately the same size as the parental genome. The proviral progeny of heterodimeric virions were analyzed after a single cycle of replication, and the sequence heterogeneity between the two strains allowed direct examination of recombination crossovers. The results obtained indicate that HIV-1 undergoes approximately two to three recombination events per genome per replication cycle. These results imply that both HIV-1 RNAs are typically utilized during reverse transcription and that recombination is an important aspect of HIV-1 replication.

A new point mutation (P157S) in the reverse transcriptase of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 confers low-level resistance to (-)-beta-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine.

A P157S mutation in the reverse transcriptase (RT) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 conferred fivefold resistance to (-)-beta-2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine in cell culture. Interestingly, the P157S mutation resulted in increased sensitivity (two- to threefold) to 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) and to (R)-9-(2-phosphonylmethoxypropyl)adenine (PMPA). A similar increase in susceptibility to AZT and to PMPA was also conferred by the M184V mutation in RT.

Discontinuous plus-strand DNA synthesis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected cells and in a partially reconstituted cell-free system.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) replication requires conversion of viral RNA to double-stranded DNA. To better understand the molecular mechanisms of this process, we examined viral DNA synthesis in a simple cell-free system that uses the activities of HIV-1 reverse transcriptase to convert regions of single-stranded HIV-1 RNA to double-stranded DNA in a single incubation. This system recapitulated several of the required intermediate steps of viral DNA synthesis: RNA-templated minus-strand polymerization, preferential plus-strand initiation at the central and 3' HIV-1 polypurine tracts, and DNA-templated plus-strand polymerization. Secondary sites of plus-strand initiation were also observed at low frequency both in the cell-free system and in cultured virus. Direct comparison of viral and cell-free products revealed differences in the precision and selectivity of plus-strand initiation, suggesting that the cell-free system lacks one or more essential replication components. These studies provide clues about mechanisms of plus-strand initiation and serve as a starting point for the development of more complex multicomponent cell-free systems.

Effect of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) nucleocapsid protein on HIV-1 reverse transcriptase activity in vitro.

Conversion of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genomic RNA to viral DNA is a requisite step in the virus life cycle. This conversion is catalyzed by reverse transcriptase (RT) associated with a large nucleoprotein complex composed of several viral proteins including nucleocapsid (NC). To better characterize the biochemical mechanisms of viral DNA synthesis, we overexpressed and purified recombinant HIV-1 NC and studied its effect on the activity and processivity of HIV-1 RT during polymerization of HIV-1 template sequences in vitro. The effect of NC on steady-state RT activity was dependent on the order of addition of reaction components. Addition of NC prior to formation of RT-primer.template-dNTP ternary complexes inhibited primer extension and reduced total product yields by slowing steady-state RT turnover. In contrast, addition of NC to preformed ternary complexes resulted in efficient primer extension and increased RT processivity at specific DNA template sites. NC stimulated polymerization (2-4 times) through eight of 13 sites examined in the cRRE region of HIV-1 env and increased the rate of polymerization through the D3/CTS region of HIV-1 pol 10 times. The data suggest that NC affects RT processivity by facilitating polymerization through regions of template secondary structure. Thus, NC functions as a single-strand binding (SSB)-like accessory replication factor for RT in vitro and may be part of a multicomponent retroviral replication complex.

Template-directed pausing of DNA synthesis by HIV-1 reverse transcriptase during polymerization of HIV-1 sequences in vitro.

Replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) requires reverse transcriptase (RT) to synthesize double-stranded proviral DNA (9.7 kilobases) through a complex mechanism utilizing both RNA and DNA templates. We have examined DNA synthesis by HIV-1 RT on RNA and DNA templates derived from the HIV-1 genome using a primer extension assay in vitro. Analysis of polymerization products on sequencing gels revealed strong pauses in synthesis, on both RNA and DNA templates, in homopolymeric nucleotide runs, and at regions of predicted secondary structure. Polymerization pauses occurred in runs of template rGs (> or = 4 bases) and rCs (> or = 3 bases) during minus-strand synthesis on RNA templates, and in most runs (> or = 4 bases) of template dTs and dAs during plus-strand synthesis on DNA templates. Pausing also occurred on both templates within the first few nucleotides of the predicted hairpin structures of the Rev response element. The locations of pauses were dependent on template sequence and were unaffected by primer positioning, RT concentration, and ionic strength. Recombinant and virion-derived HIV-1 RTs showed similar pausing patterns. DNA products that accumulated at HIV-1 RT pause sites on RNA templates were extended by continued incubation with excess RT from Moloney murine leukemia virus, showing that the RNA templates were not broken or otherwise unable to support polymerization. Polymerizations conducted in the presence of a poly(rA) oligo(dT) trap showed that pausing results from two mechanisms: 1) RT remaining bound to the primer-template and polymerizing at a greatly reduced rate, or 2) RT dissociating from the primer-template. These results demonstrate that specific HIV-1 RNA and DNA template sequences are capable of interrupting processive DNA synthesis by HIV-1 RT in vitro. Pausing may serve specific functions in HIV-1 replication and mutagenesis. Moreover, these data suggest that one or more accessory factors are required to complete proviral DNA synthesis in vivo and that efficient HIV-1 DNA synthesis may require multiple origins.