The HIV-1 repeated sequence R as a robust hot-spot for copy-choice recombination

Template switching during reverse transcription is crucial for retroviral replication. While strand transfer on the terminal repeated sequence R is essential to achieve reverse transcription, template switching from internal regions of the genome (copy choice) leads to genetic recombination. We have developed an experimental system to study copy-choice recombination in vitro along the HIV-1 genome. We identify here several genomic regions, including the R sequence, where copy choice occurred at high rates. The frequency of copy choice occurring in a given region of template was strongly influenced by the surrounding sequences, an observation that suggests a pivotal role of the folding of template RNA in the process. The sequence R, instead, constituted an exception to this rule since it was a strong hot-spot for copy choice in the different sequence contexts tested. We suggest therefore that the structure of this region has been optimised during viral evolution to ensure efficient template switching independently from the sequences that might surround it.