title: HIV protease: enzyme function and drug resistance.
abstract: HIV protease is responsible for processing of the gag and gag-pol polyproteins during virion maturation. The activity of this enzyme is essential for virus infectivity, rendering the protein a major therapeutic target for AIDS treatment. This articles reviews the biochemical and biophysical properties of the enzyme. The clinical and in vitro observations of resistance to protease inhibitors are discussed from the perspective of drug resistance mechanisms of HIV protease mutants.
authors.affiliation: SAIC Frederick, National Cancer Institute, Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21702-1201, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gulnik
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites; D019281:Dimerization; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006678:HIV / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D016333:HIV Protease / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009154:Mutation; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013816:Thermodynamics
chemical_list: D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D016333:HIV Protease