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
Proviral DNA is a central factor in HIV persistence and the difficulty of eradicating infection. Reservoirs
In research and clinical monitoring, measurements of HIV DNA levels are used to estimate reservoir size, alongside