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- The
HIV replication cycle begins with the virus binding to a host
cell by means of the gp120 molecule linkage with a CD4 receptor.
- Viral
envelope fuses with the lipid bilayer of the target cell through
involvement of the gp41 molecule.
- The
viral RNA is subsequently uncoated and reverse-transcribed
into proviral DNA by the viral reverse transcriptase enzyme.
- Proviral
DNA migrates to the nucleus and is permanently integrated
into the host's DNA by the viral integrase enzyme.
- Integrated
viral genes may remain inactive or may be activated for transcription
into genomic RNA and messenger RNA, which are translated into
viral proteins.
- These
viral proteins are cleaved by HIV protease enzyme into new
enzymatic and structural HIV proteins and assembled.
- They
are then released by budding to produce a new generation of
infectious virions.
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