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How do new HIV particles become mature after budding off from a T-helper cell?
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HIV particles mature through the action of protease which cleaves polyproteins into functional viral components after budding from the host cell.
How does the HIV virus inject its genetic material into T-helper cells?
Gp120 stalk pierces the T cell's membrane, fusing the viral and T cell membranes, allowing HIV to inject its genetic material.
What impact does HIV's high mutation rate have on medication efficacy?
High mutation rates can lead to the development of drug-resistant strains, reducing medication effectiveness over time.
Describe the role of protease in the maturation of HIV particles.
Protease cleaves polyproteins into functional viral components, necessary for virus maturation.
Describe the role of Gp120 protein during the entry of HIV into a T-helper cell.
Gp120 binds the CD4 receptor on T-helper cells, inducing a conformational change that helps CCR5/CXCR4 pull viral and T cell membranes together.
How might the chronic integration of HIV DNA into the host genome be targeted in therapeutic strategies?
Therapies might focus on targeting the integrase enzyme's activity or leveraging gene editing technologies to remove integrated viral DNA.
What is a significant cause of T-helper cell death during HIV infection?
T-helper cell death is often due to the self-destruct mechanism triggered by HIV production, not the budding of virions.
What is the function of reverse transcriptase in the HIV replication process?
Reverse transcriptase converts viral RNA into single-stranded DNA, then into double-stranded DNA.
What are polyproteins and what role do they play in HIV replication?
Polyproteins are long strands of viral proteins that include viral enzymes, which are subsequently cleaved into functional components by protease.
What is the primary receptor required for HIV to bind to T-helper cells?
CD4 Receptor
Which co-receptors are involved in HIV entry into T-helper cells, and which is preferred?
CCR5 (preferred) and CXCR4
Explain how HIV integrates its DNA into the host T-helper cell's DNA.
Integrase enzyme mediates the integration of viral DNA into the host cell's DNA, allowing for latency or transcription into mRNA.
What cellular mechanism allows for the initial transport of HIV to lymph nodes?
Dendritic cells and macrophages transport HIV to lymph nodes.
How does the integration of viral DNA into host DNA contribute to the chronic nature of HIV infection?
Integrated viral DNA can remain latent or be continuously transcribed into mRNA, sustaining chronic infection.
Why does the high error rate of reverse transcriptase complicate HIV vaccine development?
The high error rate leads to frequent mutations, making it difficult to develop a consistent vaccine targeting all virus variants.
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