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Updated: May 18, 2026

Assembly and Purification of Prototype Foamy Virus Intasomes
Published on: March 19, 2018
Solution conformations of prototype foamy virus integrase and its stable synaptic complex with U5 viral DNA
Kushol Gupta1, Joseph E Curtis, Susan Krueger
1Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6059, USA.
Small-angle scattering reveals the solution structure of the PFV intasome complex. This retroviral intasome adopts a tetrameric shape in solution, differing from its crystallographic DNA-bound state.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Structural Biology
- Virology
Background:
- The retroviral intasome complex is crucial for viral DNA integration.
- Understanding its solution structure is key to developing antiviral therapies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the solution properties and architecture of the PFV intasome.
- To compare solution structures with crystallographic models.
Main Methods:
- Small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS)
- Analytical centrifugation
- Light scattering
- Contrast variation methods
Main Results:
- PFV IN is a monomer in solution, exhibiting diverse conformations.
- The PFV intasome forms a tetramer in solution, consistent with crystallographic symmetry.
- Solution structure revealed previously unresolved distal domains of IN.
Conclusions:
- The PFV intasome maintains its tetrameric architecture in solution.
- Solution scattering provides insights into retroviral intasome architecture beyond crystallography.
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