Integrase Flexible Loop

 Home Page National Cancer Institute Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory Retroviral Integrase Project NCI-Frederick MCL - Protein Structure Section
Structures determined by the Macromolecular Crystallography Laboratory, Protein Structure Section at the NCI-Frederick campus. Work performed in collaboration with the Skalka Laboratory in the Institute for Cancer Research, Fox Chase Cancer Center.






The "flexible loop" is the highly conserved part formed by amino acid residues 141-152 in ASV IN, and 136-153 in HIV IN (F185H). The figure above clearly shows why we call this loop "flexible". The flexible loop is important because it is believed to hold the DNA substrate in the proper position while the active site is performing the integration reaction. The spirals labelled "a3" and "a4" are helices. Click here for more information about integrase secondary structure and sequence.

buttonBack to the ASV IN home page.

If you have questions or comments about the Integrase Project web site,
contact: Jerry N. Alexandratos at alexandr@ncifcrf.gov.