Structural and functional similarities between HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and the Escherichia coli RNA polymerase beta' subunit.

Four monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) recognizing HIV-1 reverse transcriptase (RT) were shown here to cross-react with the beta' subunit of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase (RNAP). The anti-RT MAbs bind to a peptide comprising residues 294-305 of the RT amino acid sequence. Computer analyses revealed sequence similarity between this peptide and two regions of the RNAP beta' subunit. MAb-binding studies using RT mutants suggested that the epitope is located to amino acids 652-663 of the beta' sequence. One of the MAbs which inhibited the polymerase activity of RT also mediated a dose dependent inhibition of the RNAP activity.