China 
Africa 
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Recombinant DNA Technology
Published in Firdos Alam Khan, Biotechnology Fundamentals, 2020
Retroviruses are one of the mainstays of current gene therapy approaches. Recombinant retroviruses such as the Moloney murine leukemia virus can integrate into the host genome in a stable fashion. They contain a reverse transcriptase that allows integration into the host genome. They have been used in several FDA-approved clinical trials, such as the SCID-X1 trial. Retroviral vectors can be either replication-competent or replication-defective. Replication-defective vectors are the most common choice in studies because the viruses have had the coding regions for the genes necessary for additional rounds of virion replication and packaging replaced with other genes or deleted. These viruses can infect their target cells and deliver their viral payload, but then fail to continue the typical lytic pathway, which would typically result in cell lysis and death. Conversely, replication-competent viral vectors contain all the necessary genes for virion synthesis and will continue to propagate themselves once infection occurs. Because the viral genome for these vectors is much lengthier, the length of the actual inserted gene of interest is limited compared to the possible length of the insert for replication-defective vectors (Figure 4.8).
Response to the Aids Pandemic
Published in Richard J. Sundberg, The Chemical Century, 2017
It is fortunate that the AIDS epidemic appeared at a point in time when considerable understanding of the mechanism of retroviruses existed, because this permitted a quick and rational approach to the chemotherapy of the disease. The target cells in humans are CD4+ T cells, which are a critical component of the immune system. Figure 19.1 shows the basic mechanism of HIV infection. The retrovirus is incorporated into the target cells at the CD4 receptor, which involves co-receptor proteins. Inside the cell, the retrovirus sheds its coat and reverse transcriptases transcribe the viral DNA and integrate it into the DNA of the host cell. The proteins produced are processed by proteolytic enzymes and reassemble into the virus, which is released and capable of reinfection of other cells.
Expression of Genes in Bacteria, Yeast, and Cultured Mammalian Cells
Published in Jay L. Nadeau, Introduction to Experimental Biophysics, 2017
Lentiviruses are members of the viral family of retroviruses (introduced in Chapter 1). Retroviruses transcribe their RNA genomes to DNA, the reverse of what is seen in all other organisms, using the enzyme reverse transcriptase. Reverse transcriptase is error-prone, accounting for the high mutation rate of retroviruses. All retroviruses integrate into the host genome after transcription into DNA (the DNA is called a provirus). Different viruses show different preferences for integration sites—some home to promoters, and others to sites of active transcription. Because the sequence now forms an integral part of the host genetic material, it is passed down indefinitely during cell division (Figure 3.14).
Design and molecular docking studies of {N1-[2-(amino)ethyl]ethane-1,2-diamine}-[tris(oxido)]-molybdenum(VI) complex as a potential antivirus drug: from synthesis to structure
Published in Journal of Coordination Chemistry, 2023
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is a retrovirus with two identical copies of RNA genome encapsulated in the viral particle together with the enzyme machinery necessary for viral replication [54]. HIV-1 RNA genome is composed of a single RNA strand which is identified as the largest among all RNA viruses reported [55]. Once the virus infects a cell, its genome acts as a messenger RNA (mRNA) and initiates the synthesis of polyproteins. In silico molecular docking and analysis of 1 has been performed with HIV-1 RNA (PDB ID: 6MCF) to test the human immunodeficiency virus inhibition activity of 1. Figure 8 shows the graphical view of molecular docking of HIV-1-RNA (PDB ID: 6MCF) into 1 with focused view for interacting nucleotide residues. Molecular docking results showed that 1 can effectively inhibit HIV-1 RNA replication. Figure S12 shows the Lig-Plot presentation and receptor protein interaction of the HIV-1-RNA (PDB ID: 6MCF) with 1 with focused view for interacting RNA residues such as Guanine (G), Cytosine (C) and Uracil (U) around 1.
Toxicity and applications of surfactin for health and environmental biotechnology
Published in Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B, 2018
Vanessa Santana Vieira Santos, Edgar Silveira, Boscolli Barbosa Pereira
Surfactin exhibits antiviral properties, especially against enveloped viruses. In fact, surfactin acts directly on lipid envelope structure of these infectious agents, including retrovirus and herpes virus. The hydrophobicity of the fatty acid moiety is an important factor attributed to the nonspecific detergent activity that readily disintegrates the virus particles (Kracht et al. 1999; Vollenbroich et al. 1997). Thus, addition of surfactin to cell cultures may represent an efficient tool for virus inactivation and prevention against virus infection.
Repurposing pharmaceutical excipients as an antiviral agent against SARS-CoV-2
Published in Journal of Biomaterials Science, Polymer Edition, 2022
Manisha Malani, Prerana Salunke, Shraddha Kulkarni, Gaurav K. Jain, Afsana Sheikh, Prashant Kesharwani, Jayabalan Nirmal
Surfactin is more efficient against an enveloped virus such as herpes and retrovirus than a non-enveloped virus at 25 µM concentration [154]. A study have shown that oral administration of surfactin in piglet prevented the infection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) by acting as an inhibitor for membrane fusion during the invasion of host cells [155].