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- Title
Retroviral reverse transcriptases.
- Authors
Herschhorn, Alon; Hizi, Amnon
- Abstract
Reverse transcription is a critical step in the life cycle of all retroviruses and related retrotransposons. This complex process is performed exclusively by the retroviral reverse transcriptase (RT) enzyme that converts the viral single-stranded RNA into integration-competent double-stranded DNA. Although all RTs have similar catalytic activities, they significantly differ in several aspects of their catalytic properties, their structures and subunit composition. The RT of human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1), the virus causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), is a prime target for the development of antiretroviral drug therapy of HIV-1/AIDS carriers. Therefore, despite the fundamental contributions of other RTs to the understanding of RTs and retrovirology, most recent RT studies are related to HIV-1 RT. In this review we summarize the basic properties of different RTs. These include, among other topics, their structures, enzymatic activities, interactions with both viral and host proteins, RT inhibition and resistance to antiretroviral drugs.
- Publication
Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS, 2010, Vol 67, Issue 16, p2717
- ISSN
1420-9071
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1007/s00018-010-0346-2