Implications of the Nucleocapsid and the Microenvironment in Retroviral Reverse Transcription

Marylène Mougel (1) , Andrea Cimarelli (2) , Jean-Luc Darlix (3)

1 IRIM - Institut de Recherche en Infectiologie de Montpellier
2 LP2L - Interaction hôte pathogène lors de l'infection lentivirale – Host-Pathogen Interaction during Lentiviral Infection
3 Virologie humaine

This mini-review summarizes the process of reverse-transcription, an obligatory step in retrovirus replication during which the retroviral RNA/DNA-dependent DNA polymerase (RT) copies the single-stranded genomic RNA to generate the double-stranded viral DNA while degrading the genomic RNA via its associated RNase H activity. The hybridization of complementary viral sequences by the nucleocapsid protein (NC) receives a special focus, since it acts to chaperone the strand transfers obligatory for synthesis of the complete viral DNA and flanking long terminal repeats (LTR). Since the physiological microenvironment can impact on reverse-transcription, this mini-review also focuses on factors present in the intra-cellular or extra-cellular milieu that can drastically influence both the timing and the activity of reverse-transcription and hence virus infectivity.

Mots clés: reverse transcriptase; nucleocapsid protein; genomic RNA; viral DNA; strand transfers; SEVI

Domaines: Virologie; Génomique, Transcriptomique et Protéomique [q-bio.GN]

Marylène Mougel, Andrea Cimarelli, Jean-Luc Darlix. Implications of the Nucleocapsid and the Microenvironment in Retroviral Reverse Transcription. Viruses, 2010, 2 (4), pp.939-960. ⟨10.3390/v2040939⟩. ⟨hal-02322864⟩