[Process of HIV-1 reverse transcription and its detection by using PCR].
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.
Yao
Wen-Xue
WX
Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China.
Wu
Ying-Liang
YL
Guo
Ying
Y
D004261:DNA Replication / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D048348:Reverse Transcription
D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral; D054303:HIV Reverse Transcriptase