X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies of zinc in the N-terminal domain of HIV-2 integrase and model compounds.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), including extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis, has been carried out at the Zn K edge of the N-terminal part of the integrase protein of the human immunodeficiency virus, type 2 (HIV-2), and of some zinc coordination compounds. In the presence of excess beta-mercaptoethanol, which was present in the NMR structure elucidation of the protein [Eijkelenboom et al. (1997), Curr.