Identification of temperature-sensitive mutants of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease through saturation mutagenesis. Amino acid side chain requirements for temperature sensitivity.

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 encodes a protease whose activity is required for the production of infectious virus. An Escherichia coli expression and processing assay system was used to screen 285 protease mutants for temperature-sensitive activity. Fourteen protease mutants had a temperature-sensitive phenotype, and approximately half resulted from conservative amino acid substitutions. Of the 14 substitutions that conferred a temperature-sensitive phenotype, 11 substitutions occurred at 6 positions that represent 3 pairs of residues in the protease that contact each other in the three-dimensional structure. These mutants assist in pinpointing regions of the protease that are important for enzyme activity and stability.