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October 6, 2022 12:00

Sala d’Actes IQAC

The reseracher Dr. Martin Willemoës, from the Linderstrøm-Lang Center of the University of Copenhagen, will give an IQAC Seminar, invited by Dr. Ramon Crehuet, from the Theoretical and Computational Chemistry group.

Date: Thursday 6th October at 12:00h.

Title: Characterizing HIV protease and variants utilizing an Escherichia coli genetic system.

Abstract:

A genetic selection system for activity of  HIV protease is described that is based on a synthetic  substrate constructed as a modified AraC regulatory protein that when  cleaved stimulate L-arabinose metabolism in an Escherichia coli  araC strain.  Growth stimulation on selective plates was shown to depend on active  HIV protease and the scissile bond in the substrate. In  addition, the  growth of cells correlated well with the established  cleavage efficiency of the sites in the viral polyprotein, Gag,  when these sites were individually introduced into the synthetic  substate of the selection system. Plasmids encoding protease variants  selected based on stimulation of cell growth in the presence of  saquinavir or cleavage of a site not cleaved by wild-type  protease, were indistinguishable with respect to both phenotypes. Also,  both groups of selected plasmids encoded side chain substitutions known  from clinical isolates or displayed different side chain substitutions  but at identical positions.