A Molecular View of HIV Therapy 

After HIV enters a T-cell, three enzymes play essential roles in the life cycle of the virus. Reverse transcriptase copies the viral RNA genome and makes a DNA copy. Integrase inserts this viral DNA into the cell’s DNA. In the last steps of the viral life cycle, HIV protease cuts HIV proteins into their functional parts.
Current antiretroviral drugs target these three enzymes, hindering the virus reproduction. However, enzymes can mutate and become drug resistant, making it vital to use a combination of different drugs that target multiple enzymes.
To learn more about the structural biology of HIV, visit rcsb.org
This animation was created based on atomic structures from the Protein Data Bank:
Reverse Transcriptase: 3hvt, 3dlk, 3v6d, 3v4i, 3klg, 3v81
Integrase: 3os1, 3os0, 3oya
Protease: 3pj6, 1kj4, 1hxb, 2az9, 2azc
HIV Polyprotein, Capsid Protein, Matrix Protein: 1l6n, 2m8l, 1tam
Story: David S. Goodsell
Animation and Video Editing: Maria Voigt
Narration: Brian Hudson
Music: Gosta Berling
RCSB PDB is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the US Department of Energy.