Our research groups in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases are involved in the study of three site-specific recombination systems: the integration of the HIV-1 genome into a host cell during infection carried out by the HIV-1 integrase protein, the transposition of the bacteriophage Mu into its bacterial host carried out by the MuA transposase, and the recombination of immunoglobulin genes during B and T cell development carried out by the RAG-1 and RAG-2 proteins. Though all three systems appear very diverse in function, there are many similarities among them, not the least of which is
the striking similarity in the three-dimensional structures of the HIV-1 integrase protein and the Mu transposase.
Department of Health and Human Services
Last updated August 12th 2002