Process of HIV-1 reverse transcription and its detection by using PCR.
- Author:
Wen-Xue YAO
1
;
Ying-Liang WU
;
Ying GUO
Author Information
1. Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- MeSH:
DNA Replication;
genetics;
DNA, Viral;
biosynthesis;
genetics;
HIV Reverse Transcriptase;
genetics;
metabolism;
HIV-1;
genetics;
metabolism;
Polymerase Chain Reaction;
methods;
RNA, Viral;
genetics;
Reverse Transcription
- From:
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica
2008;43(2):118-122
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus, belongs to Lentiviridae family. As long as viral genetic material entering into host cytoplasm, double-strand DNAs synthesis occurs which is catalyzed by reverse transcriptase (RT) with viral plus-strand RNA as template. This reverse transcription is a key link of HIV-1 life cycle and an important target for anti-HIV drug development. The process of reverse transcription can be divided into several steps: formation of minus-strand strong-stop DNA; the first translocation; initiation of plus-strand DNA synthesis; and, the second translocation and the completion of both strands. These steps can be detected individually by using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) according to the amplified products on the region of R/U5, U3, U5/PBS and the sequence between LTR and Gag. In this review, we summarize the principle for detecting stages of HIV-1 reverse transcription by using PCR.
