HIVDNA

HIVDNA refers to the DNA form of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that becomes integrated into the genome of an infected cell. HIV is an RNA retrovirus; after entry into a host cell, the viral RNA is reverse-transcribed into complementary DNA, which is then converted into double-stranded DNA. This viral DNA is transported to the cell nucleus and integrated into the host genome by the viral integrase enzyme, creating a provirus that can be replicated with the cell’s DNA.

The integrated proviral DNA can be transcriptionally active or latent. When active, host RNA polymerase II transcribes the provirus into viral RNAs that serve as genomes for new virions and as mRNAs for viral proteins. These components are assembled into new viral particles, which bud from the cell and mature to become infectious. When latent, the proviral DNA remains transcriptionally silent, allowing infected cells to persist for long periods, often without producing detectable virus.

Proviral DNA is a central factor in HIV persistence and the difficulty of eradicating infection. Reservoirs of latently infected cells, particularly resting memory CD4+ T cells and some other cell types, can harbor proviral DNA for years even under combination antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART effectively suppresses active viral replication but does not eliminate integrated HIV DNA, so the virus can rebound if treatment is interrupted.

In research and clinical monitoring, measurements of HIV DNA levels are used to estimate reservoir size, alongside RNA-based viral load tests. Understanding proviral DNA and its dynamics informs cure research, including strategies aimed at latency reversal or targeted genome editing, though no cure currently exists. HIV DNA shows substantial genetic diversity corresponding to HIV subtypes and integration sites across cells.