Inhibition and site modification of human hepatitis B virus DNA polymerase by pyridoxal 5'-phosphate

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate(PLP) modification of human hepatitis B virus (H3V) DNA polymerase was attempted in order to characterize the nature of the enzyme. Dane particle cores isolated from serum of a chronic HBV carrier by sucrose density gradient centrifugation contained DNA polymerase activity, and the enzyme activity was inhibited specifically by PLP in noncompetitive fashion with respective to dNTP. Kinetic study indicates that HBV DNA polymerase has a Km of 0.31μM for dTTP and an apparent Ki of 2mM for PLP. Sodium borohydride reduction of PLP-HEV core particles caused almost complete inhibition of HBV DNA polymerase activity. Reduction of PLP-HBV core particles by 3H labeled NaBH4 followed by SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was carried out, and the fluorography of the SDS polyacrylamide gel revealed 3 major bands corresponding to molecular weights of 21,000, 80,000 and > 100,000. Dane particle associated DNA polymerase inhibition by PLP is mediated through Schiff's base formation with a free amino group present at catalytic site of the enzyme. A core protein having an approximate molecular weight of 80,000 is considered as HBV DNA polymerase