What does the HIV virus contain?
The HIV genome consists of two identical single-stranded RNA molecules that are enclosed within the core of the virus particle.
Is HIV a DNA or RNA virus?
HIV is a retrovirus, which means it carries single-stranded RNA as its genetic material rather than the double-stranded DNA human cells carry.
What is the basic structure of HIV virus?
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) belongs to the Family Retroviridae and consists of two basic components: a core of ribonucleic acid (RNA), called the genome, and a protein component that surrounds the genome, called a capsid.
What kind of virus is HIV virus and what does it contain?
HIV belongs to a class of viruses known as retroviruses. Retroviruses use RNA to encode their genetic information rather than DNA, as human cells do.
Are there any DNA viruses?
DNA viruses are divided into three major categories: double-stranded DNA viruses (eg, poxviruses), single-stranded DNA viruses (eg, parvoviruses), and pararetroviruses (eg, hepadnaviruses) which replicate their genome through an RNA intermediate.
Are retroviruses RNA or DNA?
A retrovirus is a virus that uses RNA as its genomic material. Upon infection with a retrovirus, a cell converts the retroviral RNA into DNA, which in turn is inserted into the DNA of the host cell.
Overview
Structure
The complete sequence of the HIV-1 genome, extracted from infectious virions, has been solved to single-nucleotide resolution. The HIV genome encodes a small number of viral proteins, invariably establishing cooperative associations among HIV proteins and between HIV and host proteins, to invade host cells and hijack their internal machineries. HIV is different in structure from other retroviruses. The HIV virion is ~100 nm in diameter. Its innermost region consists of a con…
Genome organization
HIV has several major genes coding for structural proteins that are found in all retroviruses as well as several nonstructural ("accessory") genes unique to HIV. The HIV genome contains nine genes that encode fifteen viral proteins. These are synthesized as polyproteins which produce proteins for virion interior, called Gag, group specific antigen; the viral enzymes (Pol, polymerase) or the glycopr…
RNA secondary structure
Several conserved secondary structure elements have been identified within the HIV RNA genome. The 5'UTR structure consists of series of stem-loop structures connected by small linkers. These stem-loops (5' to 3') include the trans-activation region (TAR) element, the 5' polyadenylation signal [poly(A)], the PBS, the DIS, the major SD and the ψ hairpin structure located within the 5' end of the genome and the HIV Rev response element (RRE) within the env gene. Another RNA struct…
V3 loop
The third variable loop or V3 loop is a part or region of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. The V3 loop of the viron's envelope glycoprotein, gp120, allows it to infect human immune cells by binding to a cytokine receptor on the target human immune cell, such as a CCR5 cell or CXCR4 cell, depending on the strain of HIV. The envelope glycoprotein (Env) gp 120/41 is essential for HIV-1 entry into cells. Env serves as a molecular target of a medicine treating individuals with HIV-1 inf…
See also
• HIV/AIDS research
External links
• Rfam entry for HIV pol-1 stem loop
• 3D model of the complete HIV1 virion
• Liu J, Wright ER, Winkler H (2010). "3D Visualization of HIV Virions by Cryoelectron Tomography". Cryo-EM, Part C: Analyses, Interpretation, and Case studies. Methods in Enzymology. Vol. 483. pp. 267–90. doi:10.1016/S0076-6879(10)83014-9. ISBN 9780123849939. PMC 3056484. PMID 20888479.
Overview
The human immunodeficiency viruses (HIV) are two species of Lentivirus (a subgroup of retrovirus) that infect humans. Over time, they cause acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), a condition in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive. Without treatment, average survival time after infection with HIV is estimated to be 9 to 11 years, depending on the HIV subtype.
Virology
HIV is a member of the genus Lentivirus, part of the family Retroviridae. Lentiviruses have many morphologies and biological properties in common. Many species are infected by lentiviruses, which are characteristically responsible for long-duration illnesses with a long incubation period. Lentiviruses are transmitted as single-stranded, positive-sense, enveloped RNA viruses. Upon entry into the target cell, the viral RNA genome is converted (reverse transcribed) into double-stranded
Diagnosis
Many HIV-positive people are unaware that they are infected with the virus. For example, in 2001 less than 1% of the sexually active urban population in Africa had been tested, and this proportion is even lower in rural populations. Furthermore, in 2001 only 0.5% of pregnant women attending urban health facilities were counselled, tested or receive their test results. Again, this proportion is even lower in rural health facilities. Since donors may therefore be unaware of their infection, do…
Research
HIV/AIDS research includes all medical research that attempts to prevent, treat, or cure HIV/AIDS, as well as fundamental research about the nature of HIV as an infectious agent and AIDS as the disease caused by HIV.
Many governments and research institutions participate in HIV/AIDS research. This research includes behavioral health interventions, such as research into sex education, and drug developm…
Treatment and transmission
The management of HIV/AIDS normally includes the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs. In many parts of the world, HIV has become a chronic condition in which progression to AIDS is increasingly rare.
HIV latency, and the consequent viral reservoir in CD4 T cells, dendritic cells, as well as macrophages, is the main barrier to eradication of the virus.
History
The first news story on "an exotic new disease" appeared May 18, 1981, in the gay newspaper New York Native.
AIDS was first clinically observed in 1981 in the United States. The initial cases were a cluster of injection drug users and gay men with no known cause of impaired immunity who showed symptoms of Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP or PJP, the latter term recognizing that the causati…
See also
• Antiviral drug
• Discovery and development of HIV-protease inhibitors
• HIV/AIDS denialism
• World AIDS Day
Further reading
• Berlier W, Bourlet T, Lawrence P, Hamzeh H, Lambert C, Genin C, Verrier B, Dieu-Nosjean MC, Pozzetto B, Delézay O (2005). "Selective sequestration of X4 isolates by human genital epithelial cells: Implication for virus tropism selection process during sexual transmission of HIV". Journal of Medical Virology. 77 (4): 465–74. doi:10.1002/jmv.20478. PMID 16254974. S2CID 25762969.
• Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) (2011). Global HIV/AIDS Response, Epid…