Thermal stressed human immunodeficiency virus type 1 nucleocapsid protein NCp7 maintains nucleic acid-binding activity

The nucleocapsid protein (NC) of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a small, highly basic nucleic acid (NA)-binding protein with two CCHC zinc-finger motifs. In this study, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, that thermal stressed HIV-1 NCp7 maintained NA-binding activity. About 41.3% of NCp7 remained soluble after incubated at 100 °C for 60 min, and heat-treated NCp7 maintained its abilities to bind to HIV-1 packaging...