Asymmetric subunit organization of heterodimeric Rous sarcoma virus reverse transcriptase alphabeta: localization of the polymerase and RNase H active sites in the alpha subunit.

The genes encoding the alpha (63-kDa) and beta (95-kDa) subunits of Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) reverse transcriptase (RT) or the entire Pol polypeptide (99 kDa) were mutated in the conserved aspartic acid residue Asp 181 of the polymerase active site (YMDD) or in the conserved Asp 505 residue of the RNase H active site. We have analyzed heterodimeric recombinant RSV alphabeta and alphaPol RTs within which one subunit was selectively mutated. When alphabeta heterodimers contained the Asp 181-->Asn mutation in their beta subunits, about 42% of the wild-type polymerase activity was detected, whereas when the heterodimers contained the same mutation in their alpha subunits, only 7.5% of the wild-type polymerase activity was detected. Similar results were obtained when the conserved Asp 505 residue of the RNase H active site was mutated to Asn. RNase H activity was clearly detectable in alphabeta heterodimers mutated in the beta subunit but was lost when the mutation was present in the alpha subunit. In summary, our data imply that the polymerase and RNase H active sites are located in the alpha subunit of the heterodimeric RSV RT alphabeta.