HIV-1 Reverse Transcription

Reverse transcription is an obligatory step in retrovirus replication in the course of which the retroviral RNA/DNA-dependent DNA polymerase (RT) copies the single-stranded positive sense RNA genome to synthesize the double-stranded viral DNA. At the same time the RT-associated RNaseH activity degrades the genomic RNA template, which has just been copied. The viral nucleocapsid protein NCp7 is an obligatory partner of RT, chaperoning synthesis of the complete viral DNA flanked by the two long-terminal repeats (LTR), required for viral DNA integration into the host genome and its expression. Here we describe assays for in vitro and ex vivo monitoring of reverse transcription and the chaperoning role of the nucleocapsid protein (NC).