DNA repair enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase is specifically incorporated into human immunodeficiency virus type 1 viral particles through a Vpr-independent mechanism.

The Vpr protein, encoded by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) genome, is one of the nonstructural proteins packaged in large amounts into viral particles. We have previously reported that Vpr associates with the DNA repair enzyme uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG). In this study, we extended these observations by investigating whether UDG is incorporated into virions and whether this incorporation requires the presence of Vpr. Our results, with highly purified viruses, show that UDG is efficiently incorporated either into wild-type virions or into Vpr-deficient HIV-1 virions, indicating that Vpr is not involved in UDG packaging. Using an in vitro protein-protein binding assay, we reveal a direct interaction between the precursor form of UDG and the viral integrase (IN). Finally, we demonstrate that IN-defective viruses fail to incorporate UDG, indicating that IN is required for packaging of UDG into virions.