Human Immunodeficiency virus (HIV) life cycle

What is the HIV life cycle?

Is a retrovirus with an RNA genome. It uses reverse transcriptase to convert RNA to DNA, integrase to integrate cDNA into the host genome, and HIV protease to cleave polypeptides into functional proteins.

What role does reverse transcriptase play in the HIV life cycle?

Reverse transcriptase converts HIV's RNA genome into DNA, allowing it to be integrated into the host genome.

How does integrase function in the HIV life cycle?

Integrase integrates the converted cDNA into the host genome, allowing for viral replication.

What does HIV protease do in the HIV life cycle?

HIV protease cleaves polypeptides into functional proteins, which are essential for the formation of new viral particles.

How does HIV bind and fuse with host cells?

HIV binds to CD4 and a co-receptor (either CCR5 or CXCR4) through its gp120 and gp41 proteins, and gp41 promotes fusion of the viral membrane with the cell membrane, releasing the HIV capsid into the cytoplasm.

What happens during reverse transcription in the HIV life cycle?

Reverse transcriptase produces double-stranded cDNA copies of the viral RNA genome.

This process is error-prone and introduces many mutations, leading to high genetic variation in HIV.

What is the role of integrase in the HIV life cycle?

Integrase incorporates the viral cDNA into the host genome, which can result in a latent infection.