title: Retrovirus maturation-an extraordinary structural transformation.
abstract: Retroviruses such as HIV-1 assemble and bud from infected cells in an immature, non-infectious form. Subsequently, a series of proteolytic cleavages catalysed by the viral protease leads to a spectacular structural rearrangement of the viral particle into a mature form that is competent to fuse with and infect a new cell. Maturation involves changes in the structures of protein domains, in the interactions between protein domains, and in the architecture of the viral components that are assembled by the proteins. Tight control of proteolytic cleavages at different sites is required for successful maturation, and the process is a major target of antiretroviral drugs. Here we will describe what is known about the structures of immature and mature retrovirus particles, and about the maturation process by which one transitions into the other. Despite a wealth of available data, fundamental questions about retroviral maturation remain unanswered.
authors.affiliation: Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mattei
authors.affiliation: Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian Km
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Schur
authors.affiliation: Structural and Computational Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory, Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit, Heidelberg, Germany. Electronic address: john.briggs@embl.de.
authors.forename: John Ag
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Briggs
mesh_terms: D036022:Capsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D059748:Proteolysis; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014771:Virion / Q000378:metabolism; D019065:Virus Assembly; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D036022:Capsid Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D054301:gag Gene Products, Human Immunodeficiency Virus; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases