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A reverse transcriptase (RT) is an enzyme used to convert RNA genome to DNA, a process termed reverse transcription.Reverse transcriptases are used by viruses such as HIV and hepatitis B to replicate their genomes, by retrotransposon mobile genetic elements to proliferate within the host genome, and by eukaryotic cells to extend the telomeres at the ends of their linear chromosomes.
Adaptation to use normal cellular machinery to enable transmission and productive infection has also aided the establishment of HIV-2 replication in humans. A survival strategy for any infectious agent is not to kill its host, but ultimately become a commensal organism. Having achieved a low pathogenicity, over time, variants that are more ...
P24 is a structural protein that plays a crucial role in the formation and stability of the viral capsid, which protects the viral RNA. p24 capsid protein's roles in the HIV replicative process are summarized as follows: [citation needed] Fusion: HIV replication cycle begins when HIV fuses with the surface of the host cell.
The genome and proteins of HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) have been the subject of extensive research since the discovery of the virus in 1983. [1] [2] "In the search for the causative agent, it was initially believed that the virus was a form of the Human T-cell leukemia virus (HTLV), which was known at the time to affect the human immune system and cause certain leukemias.
Continuous HIV replication results in a state of generalized immune activation persisting throughout the chronic phase. [6] Immune activation, which is reflected by the increased activation state of immune cells and release of proinflammatory cytokines , results from the activity of several HIV gene products and the immune response to ongoing ...
A similar process occurs with other types of viruses. The hepatitis B virus, for example, carries its genetic material in the form of DNA, and employs an RNA-dependent DNA polymerase to replicate. Some of the same compounds used as RTIs can also block HBV replication; when used in this way they are referred to as polymerase inhibitors.
HIV-1 Protease has the classic AspThrGly of Aspartyl Proteases. These amino acids are located at position 25, 26, and 27, and are responsible for the catalytic activity. With its integral role in HIV replication, HIV protease has been a prime target for drug therapy.
HIV is a retrovirus, which comprise a large and diverse family of RNA viruses that make a DNA copy of their RNA genome after infection of a host cell. An essential step in the replication cycle of HIV-1 and other retroviruses is the integration of this viral DNA into the host DNA. The RNA genome of progeny virions and the template for ...