Work

Understanding HIV-1 Protease Autoprocessing for Novel Therapeutic Development

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: In the infected cell, HIV-1 protease (PR) is initially synthesized as part of the GagPol polyprotein. PR autoprocessing is a virus-specific process by which the PR domain embedded in the precursor catalyzes proteolytic reactions responsible for liberation of free mature PRs, which then recognize and cleave at least ten different peptide sequences in the Gag and GagPol polyproteins. Despite extensive structure and function studies of the mature PRs as well as the successful development of ten US FDA-approved catalytic-site inhibitors, the precursor autoprocessing mechanism remains an intriguing yet-to-be-solved puzzle. This article discusses current understanding of the autoprocessing mechanism, in an effort to prompt the development of novel anti-HIV drugs that selectively target precursor autoprocessing.

Source: Future Medicinal Chemistry

DOI: 10.4155/fmc.13.89

Authors: Liangqun Huang, Chaoping Chen

Institution: Colorado State University

Language: English

Topic: HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment

Subfield: Infectious Diseases

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Institutes of Health, U.S. Public Health Service, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases