AZT-resistant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase: Difference between revisions

[[HIV]] infects CD4 cells, a type of T Helper cell, within a host's immune system and thus inhibits a host from being able to effectively fight off opportunistic infections.  [[Reverse transcriptase]] plays a very important role in [[HIV]] infection, as it allows the virus to create [[DNA]] from its RNA.  The creation of [[DNA]] allows [[HIV]] to incorporate its genetic information into the genome of the host cell.  After being incorporated into a host genome, the genetic information from [[HIV]] is then replicated each time that the host genome is replicated.  This allows [[HIV]] to lie dormant in a host before eventually lysing the host cell and releasing many new copies of the virus.  The [[HIV]] [[DNA]] directs that host cell to create and assemble viral particles, thus causing the virus to greatly impact the host immune system.