Human immunodeficiency virus reverse transcriptase: 25 years of research, drug discovery, and promise

Synthesis of integration-competent, double-stranded DNA from the (+)-RNA strand genome of retroviruses and long terminal repeat-containing retrotransposons reflects a multistep process catalyzed by the virus-encoded reverse transcriptase (RT). In conjunction with RNA- and DNA-templated DNA synthesis, a hydrolytic activity of the same enzyme (RNase H) is required to remove genomic RNA of the RNA/DNA replication intermediate. Together, these combined synthetic and degradative functions ensure correct selection, extension, and removal of the RNA primers of (-)- and (+)-strand DNA synthesis (tRNA and the polypurine tract, respectively). For HIV-1 RT, a quarter century of research has not only illuminated the biochemical properties, structure, and conformational dynamics of this highly versatile enzyme but has also witnessed drug discovery advances from the first Food and Drug Administration-approved anti-RT drug to recent use of RT inhibitors as potential colorectal microbicides. Salient features of HIV-1 RT and extension of these findings into programs of drug discovery are reviewed here.