Sequencing the biology of entry: the retroviral Env gene
Open accessAbstract
The surface envelope protein of any virus is major determinant of the host cell that is infected and as a result a major determinant of viral pathogenesis. Retroviruses have a single surface protein named Env. It is a trimer of heterodimers and is responsible for binding to the host cell receptor and mediating fusion between the viral and host membranes. In this review we will discuss the history of the discovery of the avian leukosis virus (ALV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Env proteins and their receptor specificity, comparing the many differences but having some similarities. Much of the progress in these fields has relied on viral genetics and genetic polymorphisms in the host population. A special feature of HIV-1 is that its persistent infection in its human host, to the point of depleting its favorite target cells, allows the virus to evolve new entry phenotypes to expand its host range into several new cell types. This variety of entry phenotypes has led to confusion in the field leading to the major form of entry phenotype of HIV-1 being overlooked until recently. Thus an important part of this story is the description and naming of the most abundant entry form of the virus: R5 T cell-tropic HIV-1.
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Beyond reverse transcription: molecular mechanisms and emerging paradigms in retroviral replication
Jehad, M. A., Ali, L. M., Pillai, V. N., Prabhu, S. G., Mustafa, F., & Rizvi, T. A. (2026) · FEMS Microbiology Reviews · doi:10.1093/femsre/fuaf066 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“…interaction induces a significant structural modification in the Env protein that acts as a trimer, enabling the penetration of the TM (gp41) domain into the target cell membrane, ultimately causing fusion between the viral and cellular lipid bilayers (White et al. 2008 , Swanstrom et al. 2017 ).”
- Authors
- Swanstrom, R., Graham, W. D., & Zhou, S.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (US)
- Corresponding author
- Swanstrom, Ronald
- Venue
- Current Topics in Microbiology and Immunology
- Publisher
- Springer International Publishing
- Published
- 2017
- Volume
- 407
- Pages
- 65-82
- ISSN
- 0070-217X (ISSN-L)
- 2196-9965
- PMC
- PMC7122457
- OpenAlex
- W2733304339
- Cited by
- 24
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4
- FWCI
- 4.35
- Type
- book chapter
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Current topics in microbiology and immunology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › HIV Research and Treatment
- Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Immunology › T-cell and Retrovirus Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS drug development and treatment
- Keywords
- retroviral envelope protein, HIV-1, avian leukosis virus, viral entry, receptor specificity, host cell receptors, membrane fusion, viral evolution, host range, viral genetics, genetic polymorphism
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Avian Leukosis Virus, Humans, Receptors, Virus, T-Lymphocytes, HIV-1, Genes, env
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