HIV transcription, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV integration, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV assembly and budding, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

HIV translation, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

Reverse transcription, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV Reverse Transcriptase

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

HIV enzymes: reverse transcriptase, integrase, and protease

HIV attachment, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

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Sequence of the gene CCR5 Delta 32 in acrylic paint on polyester taffeta. The CCR5 gene produces the CCR5 receptor protein which normally inserts into the cell membrane. The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infects human cells by attaching to 2 cell membrane proteins, CD4 and CCR5. The CCR5 Delta 32 mutation consists of a 32 base-pair deletion which introduces a premature stop signal. This results in a shorter protein with a non-functional receptor. Therefore, HIV is not able to properly attach to the CCR5 receptor and gain entry to the cell, meaning people who have the mutant gene are resistant to developing AIDs. Nearly 20% of the population in Europe has either one or two copies of the mutant gene, which has been traced back 2000 years to a single mutation amongst Vikings in Northern Europe. Those who had the mutation were protected from infection by viruses such as small pox, and survived plagues better than those with the normal CCR5 gene, which explains how the mutation has become so prevalent in a relatively short time. In 2009, scientists in Berlin reported the first, and only, individual to be cured of HIV. The treatment involved a bone marrow transplant from a donor with the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation. 



This image is a photo of 2 large banners each painted with the normal CCR5 sequence (left hand of the stripe) laid next to the CCR5 Delta 32 mutation sequence (right hand of the stripe). The four building blocks, or bases, of DNA are represented by four different colours: yellow (adenine), purple (cytosine), green (guanine) and orange (thymine). The banner on the left shows the genetic mutation in situ; the 32 base-pair deletion can be seen in the middle of the gene. The banner on the right shows the resulting gene product. The effect of the mutation can be seen clearly, indicated by the contrasting colours and the shortened (truncated) gene. The banners are around 3m in height.

Watercolour and ink on paper illustration of HIV assembly and budding. Once additional viral RNA and proteins have been made inside an infected target cell (usually CD4 T cells, a type of white blood cell found in the immune system), they are assembled and packaged together into new virus particles (virions) ready for release. HIV Gag protein and gag-pol (red) form an ordered arrangement below the cell membrane (white/grey) capturing the HIV genome (yellow). Viral proteins Vpr and Vif (purple; lower middle) are also incorporated. The assembled virus then pinches off from the cell picking up cell membrane on the way to create the viral envelope. Width of image is approximately 100 nm.



This image forms part of a series of illustrations which capture HIV at eight different points in the viral life cycle as it infects a cell and replicates.

Molecular model from X-ray diffraction data (PDB ID: 1hys) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) reverse transcriptase. Reverse transcriptase is an enzyme (protein) which catalyses the formation of DNA from an RNA template. This process is called reverse transcription and is the reverse of normal cellular transcription (making RNA from a DNA template). These enzymes are found in retroviruses such as HIV, and are also available commercially for use in molecular biology experiments in the laboratory. In this image, viral RNA (red), newly transcribed viral DNA (purple) and the 2 chains of the HIV reverse transcriptase enzyme (green and blue) are visible. Width of image is approximately 12 nm.

Watercolour and ink on paper illustration of a cross section through the capsid (red; conical shape) from an HIV virus after it has entered a target cell (blue; usually a CD4 T cell, a type of white blood cell found in the immune system). Once inside the infected target cell the capsid protein uncoats, releasing viral RNA (yellow) and viral proteins (red and purple) into the cytoplasm of the target cell. Reverse transcriptase (purple; three of these are seen here at the centre of the image attached to viral RNA and DNA) then creates a DNA copy (green) of the HIV RNA genome (yellow), using transfer RNA (blue; two of these are seen here at the centre of the image attached to viral RNA and DNA) from the host target cell as primer. HIV nucleocapsid protein (lots of small red molecules seen here attached to viral RNA) acts as a chaperone to unfold the RNA so that it can be copied in this way. This process of making DNA from an RNA template is called reverse transcription. Width of image is approximately 100 nm.



This image forms part of a series of illustrations which capture HIV at eight different points in the viral life cycle as it infects a cell and replicates.

During infection by HIV, three enzymes play essential roles in the life cycle of the virus. This image shows one of these enzymes, integrase (magenta, PDB ID 3oya), which inserts the viral DNA into the cell's DNA.

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DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

HIV assembly and budding, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV Reverse Transcriptase

Reverse transcription, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV enzyme integrase

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Retrovirus

Images

Works

DNA sequence of CCR5 Delta 32 gene mutation

HIV assembly and budding, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV Reverse Transcriptase

Reverse transcription, HIV viral life cycle, illustration

HIV enzyme integrase

Wellcome Collection

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